Bulb · Amaryllidaceae
Common Snowdrop
Galanthus nivalis
Tuck the bulbs into the ground in fall, and snowdrops will reward you by pushing up through the last of the winter snow long before anything else stirs.
Partial shade
Every 7–14 days
32–64°F · 0–18°C
USDA 3–7
Overview
If you have never grown a bulb before, snowdrops are a kind place to start. They open as the first flowers of the year in most gardens, little nodding white bells that appear in late winter while the ground is still cold. From small bulbs they come back on their own each spring, and with no fuss from you they spread into soft drifts beneath trees and along paths. Leave a patch alone for a few years and it grows into a sheet of white at a time when almost nothing else has woken up.
These gentle bulbs belong to the amaryllis family, and they feel most at home in the cool, damp half-shade under deciduous trees. They are short-lived where summers run hot, so do not worry if a warm-climate spot has disappointed you before, because they simply thrive in cold-winter gardens instead. Once they settle into a place they like, they ask for almost nothing in return.
There is one thing worth knowing before you plant. Every part of a snowdrop is toxic, and the bulb is the most dangerous piece of all. None of this makes the plant hard to love, but it does mean a snowdrop is best kept somewhere pets or small children cannot dig up and eat the bulbs.
Care
The short version: plant the bulbs in fall under deciduous trees where the shade stays cool, keep the soil moist and humus-rich while the leaves are growing in spring, and then simply let them naturalize on their own.
Light
Snowdrops are happiest in partial shade, and the dappled light beneath deciduous trees suits them beautifully since they finish flowering before the leaves fill back in. Full sun is fine too, as long as you keep the soil cool and moist all through their spring growth.
Water
While the plants are growing in spring, aim to keep the soil evenly moist, a touch on the damp side in humus-rich ground but never sitting in water. Once the leaves die back for summer the bulbs drift into dormancy, and from then on they want little to no water until they wake again.
Soil
Ordinary well-drained ground will do, though snowdrops truly love moist, humus-rich loam, and they will even forgive you a patch of clay. Mixing in plenty of organic matter helps the soil hold spring moisture without ever turning soggy.
Temperature
This is a cold-weather sweetheart, most content roughly between 32°F and 64°F (0°C to 18°C). It blooms in the chill of late winter and dislikes real summer heat, which is why it lives such a short life in warm regions.
Humidity
There is no humidity number to chase here, since ordinary outdoor air is all a snowdrop needs. Cool, moist soil matters far more to it than whatever the air is doing.
Feeding
A light hand is all that is needed. Feed in early spring as the shoots appear, or just after the flowers fade, using a balanced bulb fertilizer or a thin topdressing of compost once a season, which is plenty for such easygoing plants.
Pruning
You can relax here, because there is nothing to prune. Simply let the leaves die back on their own after flowering so they can feed the bulb, and only tidy them away once they have withered completely.
Repotting
Snowdrops rarely need lifting, so you can leave them be for long stretches. When flowering starts to tail off or the bulbs grow crowded and lose vigor, divide the congested clumps every few years, doing it in the green just after flowering.
Size & spacing
These are dainty little plants, standing only 4 to 10 inches (10 to 25 cm) tall with a spread of 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 cm). Set the bulbs roughly 2 to 3 inches apart and about that deep, then let the clumps quietly fill in over time.
When to plant
Snowdrops keep a quiet winter schedule, and it is an easy one to follow. Settle the dry bulbs into the ground in fall once the soil has cooled, let them rest through the cold months, and they will push up and bloom in late winter, often right through the snow, before dying back to sleep away the summer.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Plant dry bulbs in fall when soil has cooled and night temperatures are about 40 to 50 degrees F, 2-3 inches deep and 2-3 inches apart.
- Harvest: Blooms late winter to early spring (February to March), often through snow.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–7
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Happily, snowdrops give very little trouble, and when something does go wrong it usually shows up either in the bulb or as a slow fade of the whole clump. Look at the two signs below, match them to what you are seeing, and act gently while there is still time for the planting to bounce back.
The plants flop and the bulbs feel soft and hollow
The likely culprit is the narcissus bulb fly, whose larvae tunnel inside and quietly eat the bulb away from within. If a plant is failing, lift it and look for a plump cream maggot sitting in the hollowed center. It feels disheartening, but the fix is simple: dig up and destroy any infested bulbs, and choose a fresh spot rather than replanting in the same place.
Fix:
- Dig and destroy infested bulbs to stop the larvae spreading
- Avoid replanting susceptible bulbs in the same spot
Clumps fade and bloom less with each passing year
Heat is the usual reason, since snowdrops turn short-lived once they are planted south of zone 7, and dry or poorly drained ground does not help either. The good news is that a move often turns things around: give them a cool, part-shade home under deciduous trees, and work in some organic matter so the soil can hold onto its spring moisture.
Fix:
- Site in cool, part-shade spots such as under deciduous trees
- Improve soil with organic matter to retain spring moisture
Toxicity
Snowdrops are toxic, so they do need a little care in the right spot. Every part carries the alkaloids lycorine and galantamine, and the bulb holds the most of all. Eating any of it can bring on drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, while a large dose, especially of a bulb, can lead to tremors and heart trouble. No part is safe to eat, so keep the bulbs well out of reach of pets, livestock, and children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
A cat that nibbles the leaves will usually start drooling and being sick within a few hours. The bulb is where the real danger lies, and a cat that digs one up and eats it can go on to tremble and develop an unsteady heartbeat.
Dogs Toxic
Dogs are the pets most likely to dig up and chew on a bulb, which brings heavy drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. A big mouthful can push things further into shaking and a racing or irregular pulse, so it is worth watching them closely near a planting.
Horses Toxic
The same alkaloids are hard on horses. Grazing on the leaves or bulbs leads to drooling, colicky belly pain, and loose droppings, and a large dose can leave a horse weak and trembling.
Rabbits Toxic
A rabbit should never be given any part of a snowdrop. Even a small nibble of the leaves or bulb upsets the gut and can leave a rabbit drooling, off its food, and low in energy.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, sheep, and goats that wander into a patch of snowdrops may drool, scour, and lose interest in their feed. Heavier grazing risks tremors and an unsteady heart, so it is safest to fence the bulbs away from pasture.
Birds Toxic
Backyard hens and other birds are not safe around snowdrops either. The lycorine in every part can leave a bird quiet, off its food, and bringing its crop back up, with the bulb causing the most harm.
People Caution
No part of a snowdrop belongs on the table. Children now and then mistake the bulbs for onions, and eating one brings drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, so keep the bulbs safely out of reach and wash your hands after planting.
Wear gloves when handling bulbs to avoid skin irritation, and keep bulbs away from pets and children.
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
Most of the snowdrops you will meet in gardens are the common species, but a handful of named forms and one larger cousin are lovely to get to know.
Flore Pleno
A double-flowered form whose extra inner tepals crowd together into a fuller, ruffled white skirt.
Viridi-apice
Its outer tepals wear green tips on top of the usual green markings inside, giving the whole flower a noticeably greener look.
Galanthus elwesii (giant snowdrop)
A larger relative that stands taller than the common snowdrop, with bigger blooms and broad gray-green leaves.
Companions
Snowdrops naturalize best alongside other early bulbs that wake at the same time and share the same cool, woodland ground.
Plant near
Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis): Blooms at the same early-spring time for a complementary naturalized display.
Siberian squill (Scilla siberica): Another early bulb that naturalizes well alongside snowdrops under deciduous trees.
Glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa): Early-blooming companion bulb suited to the same woodland and lawn settings.
How to propagate
One of the joys of snowdrops is how easily they multiply, and the clumps almost seem to ask for splitting once they grow crowded. You can divide them, tease apart their little offset bulblets, or simply let them sow themselves.
DivisionEasy
Just after flowering while foliage is still green (in the green) · Re-establishes the same season; clumps build up over a few years.
Division is the most reliable way to make more snowdrops, and it is easier than it sounds. Lift a crowded clump right after flowering while the leaves are still green, gently tease it into smaller groups, and get them back in the ground before the bulbs have a chance to dry out. The splits root back in that very same season and thicken into full clumps over a few years.
Offsets & pupsEasy
Lift with clumps after flowering · A few years to form large colonies
Every bulb quietly produces small offset bulblets around its base. Lift them along with the clump after flowering, ease the bulblets free to grow on, and over a few years they fill in to make generous colonies.
SeedModerate
Self-sows in fall after natural ripening · About 4 years to reach flowering size
Where they are content, snowdrops will also seed themselves, dropping seed in fall once it has ripened and slowly wandering into new ground. It does take patience, since a seedling needs about 4 years to reach flowering size.
Myths
Snowdrops must be harmless since they are such dainty little early flowers.
Their delicate looks can fool you, because the toxicity underneath is very real. Every part carries lycorine and galantamine, and the bulbs in particular will bring on vomiting and diarrhea if anyone swallows them. Please treat the whole plant, and the bulbs most of all, as poisonous to both pets and people.