Onward to 2024!
Galanthus elwesii Dec. 28, 2023, SW Ontario
Due to mild weather a particularly early snowdrop is already above the ground; on the same time, snowdrops seedlings are growing under lights! Such events need to be captured for record keeping.
So, instead of the regular year-end flowers review, I’ll write a bit about the excitement of first time collecting and sowing seeds from my own snowdrops this year.
It is not that such seeds will find their way in the Seed List in the near future (I have plenty of garden space to fill in with these treasures), but there is always something to learn from the process. I already wrote this season about snowdrops and Cyclamen capsules in this July post for those who missed it: Summertime capsules.
The snowdrops are the true spring harbingers, forget about Crocus and Eranthis. True that sometimes they are a bit too early in our climate and will spend time under snow, but snow will come and go while the flower buds remain. Under their delicate appearance, they are very tough little things.
I’ve been working hard to increase their presence in the garden: bought bulbs from the garden centers (usually low quality), received seeds from with friends, and I even bought a few seeds one year. Besides dividing the clumps every few years, sowing seeds is a good method to increase their numbers and also to obtain a good variability.
One particular Galanthus elwesii (or a hybrid?) is the earliest among all other snowdrops every year. It is fascinating to see any flower buds in the winter in our climate! Only Helleborus foetidus, H. niger and Cyclamen coum can also claim this status.
Here it is pictured last year on January 1 2023, then at the beginning of February, beginning and ending of March!
With the exception of years with heavy snow and extreme temperatures, by late February other snowdrops will start to peek through the snow, or leaves (depending on the sun exposure), and by late March more will be in flower. After emerging they will often spend time again under the snow, but they always rebound; nothing beats these little snowdrops.
Having had a very nice spring in 2023, meaning no late snow or frosts, some flowers were pollinated and fruits developed. By mid-June I was going around collecting fatty, yellow ‘drops’. The fruits (fleshy capsules) will lay on the ground when mature and open to release the seeds which will be carried away by ants attracted by their elaiosomes. For this reason, it is best to collect the capsules gradually when you see that they start turning yellow.
Galanthus seeds are hydrophilic and they will germinate best when sown soon after collecting, just like it happens naturally. Dry kept seeds sown later, will also germinate but usually in the second spring after sowing (depending how dry they get and maybe not 100%).
Due to the very large squirrel population in our neighborhood, which are going through the garden beds like wild boars, especially in early spring when young seedlings show up, I sowed some of the seeds in pots somewhere towards the end of June to give them a better chance. You can see the results!
