Bulb · Amaryllidaceae
Common Snowdrop
Galanthus nivalis
Plant the bulbs in fall and snowdrops push up through the last of the winter snow to open before anything else.
Partial shade
Every 7–14 days
32–64°F · 0–18°C
USDA 3–7
Overview
Snowdrops are the first flowers of the year in most gardens, nodding white bells that open in late winter while the ground is still cold. They grow from small bulbs, return on their own each spring, and slowly spread into drifts under trees and along paths. A patch left alone for a few years turns into a sheet of white when little else is awake.
They belong to the amaryllis family and do best in the cool, damp half-shade you find beneath deciduous trees. They are short-lived where summers run hot, so they suit cold-winter gardens far better than warm ones. Once they find a spot they like, they ask for almost nothing.
There is a catch worth knowing up front. Every part of a snowdrop is toxic, and the bulb is the most dangerous of all. The plant is lovely and tough, but it is not one to grow 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 through spring growth, and then leave them be to naturalize.
Light
Snowdrops do best in partial shade, and the dappled light under deciduous trees suits them well since they finish flowering before the leaves close in. They take full sun too, as long as the soil stays cool and moist through their spring growth.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist while the plants are in active spring growth, on the moist side in humus-rich ground but never waterlogged. Once the foliage dies back for summer the bulbs go dormant and want little to no water until they wake again.
Soil
Plant in average, well-drained ground, though they truly prefer moist, humus-rich loam and will even put up with clay. Work in plenty of organic matter so the soil holds spring moisture without staying soggy.
Temperature
This is a cold-weather plant, happy roughly between 32°F and 64°F (0°C to 18°C). It blooms in late winter and resents real summer heat, which is why it grows short-lived in warm regions.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is all they need, so there's no figure to aim for. Cool, moist soil matters far more to a snowdrop than the air around it.
Feeding
Feed lightly in early spring as the shoots appear, or just after the flowers fade. A balanced bulb fertilizer or a thin topdressing of compost once a season is plenty for these undemanding plants.
Pruning
There's nothing to prune. Let the leaves die back on their own after flowering so they can recharge the bulb, and only clear them away once they have fully withered.
Repotting
Snowdrops don't need lifting often. Divide congested clumps every few years, in the green just after flowering, when flowering starts to drop off or the bulbs grow crowded and lose vigor.
Size & spacing
These are small plants, 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 about 2 to 3 inches apart and the same depth, then let the clumps fill in over time.
When to plant
Snowdrops run on a winter clock. Plant the dry bulbs in fall once the soil has cooled, let them sit through the cold, and they push up and bloom in late winter, often right through the 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 give little trouble, and most of what does go wrong shows up either in the bulb or as a slow fade of the whole clump. Check the two signs below against what you see, then act while the planting can still recover.
Plants wilt and the bulbs feel soft and hollow
The culprit is the narcissus bulb fly, whose larvae burrow in and eat the bulb out from the inside. Lift a failing plant and look for a fat cream maggot in the hollowed center. Dig out and destroy any infested bulbs, and don't replant in the same spot.
Fix:
- Dig and destroy infested bulbs to stop the larvae spreading
- Avoid replanting susceptible bulbs in the same spot
Clumps fade and flower less each year
Heat is the usual cause, since snowdrops grow short-lived once you plant them south of zone 7. Dry or badly drained ground works against them too. Move them to a cool, part-shade spot under deciduous trees and work in organic matter so the soil holds 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 treat them with care. Every part holds the alkaloids lycorine and galantamine, and the bulb carries the most. Eating any of it can bring on drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, and 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 away from pets, livestock, and children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
A cat that nibbles the foliage usually drools and vomits within a few hours. The bulb is the real danger, and a cat that digs one up and eats it can go on to tremble and run an unsteady heartbeat.
Dogs Toxic
Dogs are the ones most likely to dig up and chew a bulb, which brings on heavy drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. A big mouthful pushes things further into shaking and a racing or irregular pulse.
Horses Toxic
The same alkaloids hit horses hard. Grazing on the leaves or bulbs leads to drooling, colicky belly pain, and loose manure, and a large dose can leave a horse weak and trembling.
Rabbits Toxic
Rabbits should never be offered 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 get 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 not safe around snowdrops either. The lycorine in every part can leave a bird quiet, off its food, and bringing up its crop, with worse to come from the bulb.
People Caution
No part of a snowdrop is food. Children sometimes mistake 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 in gardens are the common species, but a few named forms and a larger cousin are worth knowing.
Flore Pleno
A double-flowered form whose extra inner tepals pack the bloom into a fuller, ruffled white skirt.
Viridi-apice
This one carries green tips on the outer tepals as well as the usual green marks inside, so the whole flower reads greener.
Galanthus elwesii (giant snowdrop)
A larger cousin with bigger flowers and broad gray-green leaves that stands taller than the common snowdrop.
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 are easy to increase, and the clumps almost ask to be split once they crowd. You can divide them, separate their offset bulblets, or 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 surest way to multiply snowdrops. Lift a crowded clump right after flowering, while the leaves are still green, tease it into smaller groups, and replant at once before the bulbs dry out. The splits settle back in that 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
Each bulb throws off small offset bulblets around its base. Lift them with the clump after flowering and pull the bulblets free to grow on, and over a few years they fill in to make large colonies.
SeedModerate
Self-sows in fall after natural ripening · About 4 years to reach flowering size
Snowdrops also self-seed where they're happy, scattering seed in fall once it ripens to spread into new ground. It's a slow road, though, since a seedling needs about 4 years to reach flowering size.
Myths
Snowdrops are harmless because they are dainty early flowers.
Their delicate look hides real toxicity. Every part holds lycorine and galantamine, and the bulbs in particular bring on vomiting and diarrhea if anyone eats them. Treat the whole plant, bulbs most of all, as poisonous to pets and people.