The newest clump of giant snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii) I planted last fall are looking good. The first time I spy snowdrops each year depends on when the snow melts enough to expose bare ground. That usually can happen in February or March, and this year I had to wait until March.
These bulbs are native to western Turkey and named after English botanist Henry John Elwes who collected them and gets credit for introducing them into commercial trade in the 1870s.
Giant snowdrops grow 8 inches tall in full sun to part shade. The little bell-shaped flowers are white with green markings, and these first blooms of spring are tough and can handle snow and wind.
