Bulb · Asparagaceae
Glory-of-the-snow
Chionodoxa forbesii
Among the first bulbs to bloom, glory-of-the-snow spreads a carpet of blue before winter has quite let go.
Full sun
Every 5–10 days
USDA 3–8
6–12 in · 15–30 cm
Overview
If you are just getting started, glory-of-the-snow is a wonderfully forgiving place to begin. It opens some of the earliest flowers of the whole year, often right through a thin crust of late snow. This little spring bulb belongs to the asparagus family and comes from the mountains of Turkey, where it flowers as the snowmelt begins, and in your garden it does exactly the same, lifting star-shaped blue flowers with bright white centers while the bed around it still looks bare.
The part you will love is how freely it spreads without any fuss. The bulbs multiply by offsets and the plant self-seeds, so even a small handful knits into wide drifts over a few years. It settles in happily across lawns, rock gardens, and the open ground beneath deciduous trees, flowering before the canopy leafs out and casts its shade.
Best of all, it asks so little of you. Hardy from zone 3 to zone 8, it shrugs off hard cold, puts up with deer and black walnut, and returns a touch stronger each spring. Plant the bulbs in fall, leave them be, and the colony happily takes it from there, mistakes and all.
Care
The short version: plant the bulbs in fall in well-drained soil, in full sun or the gentle shade under deciduous trees, and you are most of the way there. Keep them watered through spring growth and bloom, then simply let them dry out as the foliage fades into summer dormancy.
Light
Glory-of-the-snow is happiest and flowers best in full sun, but it takes partial shade just as kindly. The light shade beneath deciduous trees suits it wonderfully, since it blooms in early spring before the leaves unfurl and cast any real shade.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist all through spring growth and bloom, watering every 5 to 10 days whenever the rain falls short. Once the flowers fade and the leaves begin to yellow, ease right off, and keep the bulbs dry through their summer rest.
Soil
Give it average, well-drained soil of medium moisture and it truly asks for little more. Drainage is the one thing worth getting right, since bulbs left sitting in soggy ground will rot.
Temperature
This is a tough, cold-hardy little bulb that takes winter lows all the way down to -29°F (-34°C) and grows on up to around 75°F (24°C). Hard cold is no worry at all; in fact the bulbs need a proper winter chill to flower their best.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is every bit of what it needs, so there is nothing to fuss over there. Soil moisture and drainage matter far more to this bulb than anything happening in the air.
Feeding
Work a balanced bulb fertilizer or a little compost and aged manure into the soil in fall and once more in early spring. One seasonal feed is plenty, and the bulbs draw on it steadily as they grow and recharge for next year.
Pruning
Happily, there is no pruning to do at all. Let the foliage die back on its own after bloom and leave it be until it yellows fully, since those leaves are quietly feeding the bulb for the year ahead.
Repotting
These bulbs are rarely disturbed and much prefer to be left alone for years at a stretch. Lift and divide only when the clumps grow crowded and flowering starts to slip, or when offset bulbs begin nudging up to the surface.
Size & spacing
These plants stay charmingly small, reaching just 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) tall with a 3 to 6 inch (8 to 15 cm) spread. Set the bulbs about 2 to 3 inches apart and, given time, they knit into lovely drifts.
When to plant
Glory-of-the-snow keeps to a tidy little spring schedule, and it is easy to follow. Plant the dormant bulbs in fall, about 3 inches deep, and they break ground and flower in early spring, somewhere from February to April depending on where you garden. Once the show is over the foliage yellows and dies back on its own, and the bulb rests quietly through summer.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Plant bulbs in fall, about 3 inches deep and 2-3 inches apart.
- Harvest: Early spring, typically February to April (mid-March to mid-April in the St. Louis area).
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–8
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Glory-of-the-snow is an easy, good-natured bulb with very few troubles, and almost anything that goes wrong begins underground in soil that stayed too wet. When a clump looks off, lift a bulb or two, since the answer is usually right there the moment you dig. Match what you see below, act early, and you will have it back on its feet in no time.
Whole clumps that wilt, twist, and never fill in
Take heart, because this one is fixable. When a full clump wilts, twists, and stays stunted, the likely culprit is a nematode infestation down in the soil, though heavy, waterlogged ground can leave a clump looking just as sad. Ease a few bulbs out and have a look, and if any feel soft or rotten, scoop them out along with the soil they sat in. Freshen up the drainage and give your next bulbs a clean, new spot, and you will be back on track.
Fix:
- Lift and discard affected bulbs and surrounding soil
- Improve drainage and avoid replanting bulbs in the same infested spot
Soft bulbs that never push up
If a bulb turns soft and simply never sprouts, it has rotted, and nearly always the reason is wet ground it could not drain. That is bulb rot, and you will know it the moment you lift one and find it mushy, foul-smelling, or fuzzy with fungus. Toss those without a second thought and replant only the firm, healthy ones in well-drained soil or a raised bed, and the next round will thank you.
Fix:
- Discard rotted bulbs
- Replant healthy bulbs in well-drained soil or raised beds
Toxicity
This is a plant to enjoy with a little care around pets and children, and once you know the score it is easy to manage. As a Scilla relative, every part holds cardiac glycosides, and the bulb is the riskiest piece. Eating it tends to bring on drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, so keep stored bulbs out of reach and wash your hands after planting, and you can relax and love it.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
Should a cat nibble a leaf or, more of a worry, a bulb, you may see some drooling and a bit brought back up, with a little diarrhea afterward. Since the bulb carries the most toxin, tucking stored bulbs safely out of reach handles most of the risk.
Dogs Mild
A dog that digs up and chews a bulb will usually drool, be sick, and have loose stools within a few hours. Most times it stays mild and passes, but if several bulbs go down, the glycosides can reach the heart, so a quick call to the vet is the safe move.
Horses Caution
Horses seldom bother with these small spring bulbs, yet the cardiac glycosides make them a poor mouthful all the same. If one does graze the leaves or root at the bulbs, watch for drooling and an upset stomach.
Rabbits Caution
Because the whole plant holds the same glycosides, it is not safe grazing for a rabbit. A nibble can bring drooling and a runny gut, and the bulb is the part to guard most closely.
Livestock Caution
Cattle, goats, and sheep can be poisoned if they graze a patch, first with a stomach upset and, after a larger helping, a slowed and irregular heartbeat. A simple fence around naturalized drifts keeps them safe.
Birds Caution
The glycosides reach birds as well, so it is best not to let poultry or pet birds peck at the bulbs or foliage. Treat the plant as off-limits rather than forage and you have nothing to worry about.
People Caution
No part of this plant is meant to be eaten, and swallowing the bulb can cause mouth pain, nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea, with a slowed heartbeat after a large dose. Keep curious little ones away and give your hands a wash after planting.
Keep bulbs and plants away from pets and children; wash hands after handling and store bulbs out of reach.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
The plain species is the one most gardeners grow and love, but a handful of named selections stretch the color range and the flower size a little further. These are the ones worth keeping an eye out for.
Blue Giant
A strong grower whose bigger blue, white-eyed flowers ride 6 to 12 inch (15 to 30 cm) stems that may hold as many as 10 blooms apiece.
Pink Giant
Swaps the familiar blue for a gentle pink around that same clean white eye.
Alba
A pure white kind for anyone who loves the early carpet but would rather skip the blue.
Companions
Glory-of-the-snow pairs best with other early bulbs that bloom alongside it and with the deciduous trees it naturalizes beneath.
Plant near
Daffodils (Narcissus): Both are early-spring bulbs that naturalize together and bloom in overlapping seasons for layered color.
Crocus: Another very early small bulb that combines well in drifts, lawns, and rock gardens.
Deciduous trees and shrubs: Glory-of-the-snow thrives and naturalizes in the partial shade beneath deciduous trees, blooming before the canopy leafs out.
How to propagate
This is a bulb that all but multiplies itself, so many gardeners simply let it spread and enjoy the result, though you are welcome to help it along by lifting offsets, dividing clumps, or starting a few fresh bulbs.
Offsets & pupsEasy
After foliage dies back in late spring/summer, or lift and separate in fall. · 1 to 2 seasons
The lovely part is that the bulbs do the work for you, sending out offsets that grow into spreading colonies. If you would like to help them along, lift a clump once the foliage has faded in late spring or summer, or in fall, gently free the little offset bulbs, and tuck them back in. Give them a season or two and they will settle right in and flower.
Bulbs & cormsEasy
Fall · 1 season
Starting with bought bulbs is the easiest path of all, and a fine place to begin. Set the dormant bulbs about 3 inches deep in fall, and up they come to flower the very next spring, just one season from planting to bloom.
SeedModerate
Self-sows in spring/early summer; can be direct sown outdoors in fall. · 2 to 3 years to flowering
Leave it be and the plant happily self-sows in spring and early summer, and you can direct-sow the seed outdoors in fall if you like. All it asks of you is a little patience, since seedlings need 2 to 3 years to reach blooming size.
DivisionEasy
When clumps become crowded, lift and divide after foliage dies back. · 1 to 2 seasons
When a clump grows crowded and the flowers start to thin, a simple division puts it right. Lift the packed clump after the foliage has died back, ease it apart, and give the pieces room to breathe, and they re-establish over the next one to two seasons.
Myths
Glory-of-the-snow is completely safe because it is not on the ASPCA toxic plant list.
Not being on the ASPCA list is not the same as being harmless. As a Scilla relative, every part carries cardiac glycosides and the genus is on record as poisonous, so eating it really can upset a stomach. Keep the bulbs and plants away from pets and children and you can enjoy it worry-free.