Bulb · Amaryllidaceae
Common Snowdrop
Galanthus nivalis
Plant the bulbs in fall and watch snowdrops charge up through the last of the winter snow, flowering before anything else dares to.
Partial shade
Every 7–14 days
32–64°F · 0–18°C
USDA 3–7
Overview
Snowdrops kick off the growing year, opening as the first flowers of the year in most gardens, nodding white bells that break into late winter while the ground is still cold. They spring from small bulbs, come back on their own each year, and keep spreading into drifts under trees and along paths. Give a patch a few years to itself and it swells into a sheet of white while the rest of the garden is still fast asleep.
Snowdrops belong to the amaryllis family and really hit their stride in the cool, damp half-shade under deciduous trees. They burn out fast where summers run hot, so they pay off best in cold-winter gardens rather than warm ones. Find them a spot they love and they will run for years on almost nothing.
One thing to lock in before you plant, though. Every part of a snowdrop is toxic, and the bulb packs the biggest punch. It is a tough, rewarding little plant, but steer it away from any spot where pets or small children might dig up and eat the bulbs.
Care
The short version: plant the bulbs in fall under deciduous trees in cool, part shade, keep the soil moist and humus-rich right through spring growth, then turn them loose to naturalize.
Light
Snowdrops thrive in partial shade, and the dappled light under deciduous trees is right up their alley since they wrap up flowering before the leaves fill in. They will take full sun too, so long as you keep the soil cool and moist all through spring growth.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist while they are charging through spring growth, on the moist side in humus-rich ground but never waterlogged. Once the foliage dies back for summer, the bulbs power down and want little to no water until they fire up again.
Soil
Plant them in average, well-drained ground, but hand them moist, humus-rich loam and they really take off, and they will even shrug off clay. Dig in plenty of organic matter so the soil grips its spring moisture without going soggy.
Temperature
This is a cold-lover, in its element roughly between 32°F and 64°F (0°C to 18°C). It blooms in late winter and cannot stand real summer heat, which is exactly why it burns out short-lived in warm regions.
Humidity
Skip any humidity fuss, because ordinary outdoor air is all a snowdrop asks for. Cool, moist soil does the heavy lifting here, far more than the air ever will.
Feeding
Keep feeding light and easy. A quick boost in early spring as the shoots break ground, or right after the flowers fade, is all it takes, and a balanced bulb fertilizer or a thin topdressing of compost once a season keeps these easygoing plants humming.
Pruning
No pruning to chase here. Just let the leaves die back on their own after flowering so they can pump energy into the bulb, and clear them out only once they have fully withered.
Repotting
Snowdrops rarely need lifting, so leave them to it. When flowering starts to slip or the bulbs crowd up and lose steam, divide the congested clumps every few years, in the green just after flowering.
Size & spacing
These are pint-sized plants, only 4 to 10 inches (10 to 25 cm) tall and 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 cm) across. Tuck the bulbs about 2 to 3 inches apart and the same depth, then watch the clumps fill in over time.
When to plant
Snowdrops run on a winter clock, and it is a fun one to follow. Drop the dry bulbs in the ground in fall once the soil cools, let them ride out the cold, and they will surge up and bloom in late winter, often straight through snow, before dying back to rest over 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
Snowdrops throw almost no problems your way, and when something does slip, it shows up either in the bulb or as the whole clump slowly fading. Line up the two signs below against what you are seeing, then jump in while the planting can still bounce back.
Plants keel over and the bulbs turn soft and hollow
Point the finger at the narcissus bulb fly, whose larvae bore straight in and hollow the bulb out from the inside. Lift a struggling plant and hunt for a fat cream maggot sitting in the empty center. Dig up and destroy every infested bulb, and skip that spot when you replant.
Fix:
- Dig and destroy infested bulbs to stop the larvae spreading
- Avoid replanting susceptible bulbs in the same spot
Clumps run down and flower less each year
Heat is nearly always the driver, since snowdrops burn out short-lived once you plant them south of zone 7, and dry or badly drained ground drags them down too. Shift them to a cool, part-shade spot under deciduous trees and dig in organic matter so the soil holds 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 give them the respect they are due. Every part carries the alkaloids lycorine and galantamine, and the bulb loads up the most. Eating any of it sets off drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, and a big dose, especially of a bulb, can push on to tremors and heart trouble. No part is safe to eat, so keep the bulbs well clear of pets, livestock, and children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
A cat that nibbles the foliage will usually start drooling and vomiting within a few hours. The bulb is where the real danger sits, and a cat that digs one up and eats it can go on to tremble and run an unsteady heartbeat.
Dogs Toxic
Dogs top the list for digging up and chewing a bulb, which sets off heavy drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. A big mouthful can push things on to shaking and a racing or irregular pulse.
Horses Toxic
The same alkaloids come down hard on horses. Grazing the leaves or bulbs brings drooling, colicky belly pain, and loose manure, and a large dose can leave a horse weak and trembling.
Rabbits Toxic
Rabbits should never get any part of a snowdrop. Even a small taste of the leaves or bulb upsets the gut and can leave a rabbit drooling, off its food, and lethargic.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, sheep, and goats that push into a patch of snowdrops can drool, scour, and go off their feed. Heavier grazing risks tremors and an unsteady heart, so fence the bulbs off from pasture.
Birds Toxic
Backyard hens and other birds are no safer around snowdrops. The lycorine in every part can leave a bird quiet, off its food, and bringing up its crop, with the bulb hitting hardest.
People Caution
No part of a snowdrop belongs on a plate. Children now and then take the bulbs for onions, and eating one brings drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, so keep the bulbs 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 snowdrops out there are the plain common species, but a handful of named forms and one bigger cousin are a real treat to track down.
Flore Pleno
A double-flowered stunner whose extra inner tepals cram the bloom into a fuller, ruffled white skirt.
Viridi-apice
This one throws green tips onto the outer tepals on top of the usual green marks inside, so the whole flower reads noticeably greener.
Galanthus elwesii (giant snowdrop)
A bigger cousin that towers over the common snowdrop, with larger flowers 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
Snowdrops multiply fast, and a crowded clump is practically begging you to split it. Divide them, break off their offset bulblets, or let them scatter their own seed.
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 fastest, surest way to build up a snowdrop planting. Lift a crowded clump right after flowering while the leaves are still green, split it into smaller groups, and get it back in the ground before the bulbs dry out. The pieces root back in that same season and bulk up into full clumps over a few years.
Offsets & pupsEasy
Lift with clumps after flowering · A few years to form large colonies
Every bulb pumps out small offset bulblets around its base. Lift them with the clump after flowering, snap the bulblets free to grow on, and over a few years they fill in to build large colonies.
SeedModerate
Self-sows in fall after natural ripening · About 4 years to reach flowering size
Where they are thriving, snowdrops sow themselves as well, flinging seed in fall once it ripens to push into new ground. It is the slow lane, though, since a seedling needs about 4 years to hit flowering size.
Myths
Snowdrops are harmless because they are dainty early flowers.
Do not buy the innocent look, because the toxicity runs deep. Every part carries lycorine and galantamine, and the bulbs above all set off vomiting and diarrhea if anyone eats them. Treat the whole plant, and the bulbs most of all, as poisonous to pets and people.