Snowdrops (Galanthus) Planting & Growing Guide

If you live in an area where the winter seems to linger forever or if you just prefer to have flowers blooming as close to year round as possible, snowdrops are an easy solution. These tough-as-nails little plants sprout even through snow - hence their name - and blossom while the calendar (and often the weatherman) say it's still winter. With buds like tiny alabaster pearls, one each dangling from a slightly arching stem, snow drops are fine additions to woodland gardens, planted with crocuses and tucked around the bases of deciduous trees and shrubs. These tiny gems are also deer resistant, so they're ideal for planting in areas that back to "forever wild" plots. Snowdrops take a year to become established so don't be disappointed if they only flower lightly the first spring. They'll produce more blooms and begin to develop into thick patches by year two. Also, these bulbs tend to dry out if they are left out of the ground at ambient air temperatures for long, so please plant immediately. In future seasons, there will be no need to divide and separate your snowdrop bulbs, so other than these initial considerations, snowdrops are among the easiest plants to grow. (For early season blooms in the warmest of regions, snowflakes, or Leucojum, are recommended as more perennial choices.)