Bulb · Asparagaceae
Glory-of-the-snow
Chionodoxa forbesii
One of the first bulbs to bloom, glory-of-the-snow carpets the ground in blue before winter has fully let go.
Full sun
Every 5–10 days
USDA 3–8
6–12 in · 15–30 cm
Overview
Glory-of-the-snow opens some of the earliest flowers of the year, often through a thin crust of late snow. It is a small spring bulb in the asparagus family, native to the mountains of Turkey, where it blooms as the snowmelt begins. In the garden it does the same, throwing up star-shaped blue flowers with bright white centers while most of the bed is still bare.
What sets it apart is how freely it spreads. The bulbs multiply by offsets and the plant self-seeds, so a small planting knits into wide drifts over a few years. It naturalizes happily in lawns, rock gardens, and the open ground beneath deciduous trees, flowering before the canopy leafs out and shades it.
It asks for almost nothing. Hardy from zone 3 to zone 8, it shrugs off hard cold, tolerates deer and black walnut, and comes back stronger each spring. Plant the bulbs in fall, leave them be, and the colony takes care of the rest.
Care
The short version: plant the bulbs in fall in well-drained soil, in full sun or the light shade under deciduous trees. Keep them watered through spring growth and bloom, then let them dry out as the foliage fades into summer dormancy.
Light
Glory-of-the-snow flowers best in full sun but takes partial shade just as well. The light shade under deciduous trees suits it perfectly, since it blooms in early spring before the leaves come out and cast real shade.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist through spring growth and bloom, watering every 5 to 10 days if rain falls short. Ease off once the flowers fade and the foliage starts to yellow, and keep the bulbs dry through their summer dormancy.
Soil
Give it average, well-drained soil of medium moisture and it asks for little else. Drainage is the one thing that matters most, since bulbs left in soggy ground rot.
Temperature
This is a tough, cold-hardy bulb that handles winter lows down to -29°F (-34°C) and grows on up to about 75°F (24°C). The hard cold is no threat; the bulbs need a winter chill to flower well.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is all it needs, so there's no level to manage. Soil moisture and drainage matter far more to this bulb than anything in the air.
Feeding
Work a balanced bulb fertilizer or some compost and aged manure into the soil in fall and again in early spring. A seasonal feed is plenty, and the bulbs draw on it as they grow and recharge.
Pruning
There is no pruning to do. Let the foliage die back on its own after bloom and leave it until it yellows fully, since the leaves are feeding the bulb for next year.
Repotting
These bulbs are rarely disturbed and prefer to be left alone for years. Lift and divide only when clumps grow crowded and flowering drops off, or when offset bulbs start pushing to the surface.
Size & spacing
Plants stay 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 so they can knit into drifts over time.
When to plant
Glory-of-the-snow runs on a tight spring schedule. Plant the dormant bulbs in fall, about 3 inches deep, and they break ground and flower in early spring, anywhere from February to April depending on your climate. After bloom the foliage yellows and dies back, and the bulb rests 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 bulb with few troubles, and most of what goes wrong starts underground in wet soil. Lift a bulb or two when a clump looks off, since the answer is usually visible the moment you dig. Match what you see below, then act before the rot spreads.
Wilting, twisted leaves and clumps that never fill out
Stunted, distorted growth across a whole clump usually points to a nematode infestation in the soil, though soggy, waterlogged ground can cause the same decline. Lift a few bulbs and check them, and if they are soft and rotting, dig out the affected bulbs along with the soil around them. Improve the drainage and plant the next batch somewhere clean rather than replanting in the same spot.
Fix:
- Lift and discard affected bulbs and surrounding soil
- Improve drainage and avoid replanting bulbs in the same infested spot
Soft, mushy bulbs that never come up
Bulbs that turn soft and never sprout have rotted, almost always from sitting in wet ground. This is bulb rot, and the giveaway is a mushy bulb with a foul smell or fuzzy fungal growth when you lift it. Throw the rotted ones out and replant only firm, healthy bulbs in well-drained soil or a raised bed.
Fix:
- Discard rotted bulbs
- Replant healthy bulbs in well-drained soil or raised beds
Toxicity
Treat this one with care around pets and children. As a Scilla relative, every part holds cardiac glycosides, and the bulb is the most dangerous piece. Eating it tends to bring on drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, so keep stored bulbs out of reach and wash your hands after planting.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
A cat that chews a leaf or, worse, a bulb may start drooling and bring it back up, often with some diarrhea to follow. The bulb holds the most of the toxin, so keep stored bulbs well out of reach.
Dogs Mild
Dogs that dig up and gnaw a bulb tend to drool, vomit, and get loose stools within a few hours. Most cases stay mild, but a dog that swallows several bulbs can run into more serious heart effects from the glycosides.
Horses Caution
Horses rarely seek these small spring bulbs out, yet the cardiac glycosides make them a poor thing to graze. Expect drooling and digestive upset if a horse does eat the foliage or dig into the bulbs.
Rabbits Caution
The whole plant carries the same glycosides, so it isn't safe browse for a rabbit. A nibble may bring on drooling and a runny gut, and the bulb is the part to guard most carefully.
Livestock Caution
Cattle, goats, and sheep can be poisoned if they graze a patch, with stomach upset and, after larger amounts, a slowed and irregular heartbeat. Fence them off from naturalized drifts.
Birds Caution
The glycosides put birds at risk too, so don't let poultry or pet birds peck at the bulbs or foliage. Treat it as off-limits rather than safe forage.
People Caution
No part of this plant is food, and eating the bulb can cause mouth pain, nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea, with a slowed heartbeat after a large dose. Keep curious children away and wash your hands 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 species itself is the one most gardeners grow, but a few named selections widen the color range and the flower size. These are the ones worth looking for.
Blue Giant
A vigorous selection with larger blue, white-centered flowers on 6 to 12 inch (15 to 30 cm) stems that can carry up to 10 blooms each.
Pink Giant
Trades the usual blue for soft pink petals around the same bright white eye.
Alba
A pure white form for gardeners who want the early drift without 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 multiplies almost on its own, so most gardeners just let it spread, though you can speed things along by lifting offsets, dividing clumps, or starting fresh bulbs.
Offsets & pupsEasy
After foliage dies back in late spring/summer, or lift and separate in fall. · 1 to 2 seasons
The bulbs do most of the work themselves, throwing offsets that knit into spreading colonies. To move them along, lift a clump once the foliage has died back in late spring or summer, or in fall, pull the small offset bulbs free, and replant them. Give them a season or two and they settle in and bloom.
Bulbs & cormsEasy
Fall · 1 season
Starting from purchased bulbs is the simplest route of all. Plant the dormant bulbs about 3 inches deep in fall and they come up to flower the very next spring, 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
Left alone, the plant self-sows freely in spring and early summer, and you can also direct-sow the seed outdoors in fall. The catch is patience, since seedlings take 2 to 3 years to reach blooming size.
DivisionEasy
When clumps become crowded, lift and divide after foliage dies back. · 1 to 2 seasons
Once a clump grows congested and flowering tails off, dividing it sets things right. Lift the crowded clump after the foliage has died back, pull it apart, and spread the pieces out, 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.
Its absence from the ASPCA list does not make it harmless. As a Scilla relative, every part holds cardiac glycosides and the genus is documented as poisonous, so eating it can bring on real stomach upset. Keep the bulbs and plants away from pets and children.