Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Galanthus woronowii; The Green Snowdrop



Galanthus woronowii (wor-uh-nov-ee-eye) is a species that is sometimes called the 'green snowdrop', because of its very distinctive leaves, which are broad and deep, waxy green. It is native from Turkey up through the Caucasus to southern Russia and it is particularly common on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. Because its native haunts are rather dry, it tolerates dryness in the garden, and a fair amount of sun. The flowers are rather small in proportion to the lush foliage, and ghostly pale. The green marking on the inner petals is also distinctive, looking somewhat blocky, like a molar tooth rather than the more common upside down heart seen for example on Galanthus elwesii. Also noteworthy is the prominent notch on each inner petal at the base of each green spot. This is a rapidly multiplying snowdrop for me, and has quickly formed a dense clump that needs dividing this year, so in only three years my original six bulbs have become thirty. I am almost at that point where I can drop a little comment now and then about how most of the obscure snowdrop species don't seem to do well for other people here in the midwest, but this one is becoming quite a pest for me.
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Comments:
Ha. And what a pleasure it is to be able to revel in such a statement! :-)

You can start spreading them around.. . but will you forget which they are when you have so many other varieties?
 
Don, did you actually let a THUG into your garden? No way.

Our only thug is dollarweed, and be assured, we didn't plant it and it is NOT nearly this pretty.

Dollarweed is reason #1001 that we are getting rid of as much turf as possible in our yard!
 
Don, your snowdrop is a delicate harbinger of the spring to come...
 
Beautiful snowdrops!
 
Nancy... snow is predicted here tomorrow :o(

Shady... so many bulbs have spread around here, that things are already pretty muddled.

Brian... Oh, I've got my share of real thugs... there is "the lamium that ate a rhododendron".

Wanda... this particular species is, I think, the most delicate snowdrop I have.

Marie... thanks for your feedback; it is appreciated!

Don
 
I miss my snowdrops. My first home and my first spring in that home brought a wonderful surprise from mother nature. In the very early spring, with snow still on the ground, these little beauties started to spring up in the garden. The instantly became my favorite flower. So much so, that I have adopted their moniker as my blogging persona.
 
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