Galanthus that are truly easy to recognise!

[Lina Hesseling]

I believe 'Hans Guck' should be 'Hans Guck in die Luft'. Or am I wrong?

Lina.

[johnw]

Mark  - To that you might want to add Rosemary Burnham, Heffalump, Gloucester Old Spot and Green Mile.  Maybe Green Tear

Yes Lina, too lazy to write out HGiDL....

johnw

[Carolyn Walker]

so this is what we have so far. If you want to add to it copy the whole list

Ailwyn
Anglesey Abbey
Augustus
Blewbury Tart
Diggory
Hans Guck
Hill Poe
Lady Beatrix Stanley
Lady Elphinstone
Lapwing
Modern Art
Sickle
Sophie North
South Hayes
Swanton
Trymposter
Walrus
Wasp
Wendy's Gold

The original list also included Green Mile, Elizabeth Harrison, and Peter Gatehouse.  Suggested since then are Godfrey Owen, EA Bowles, Fly Fishing, Rosemary Burnham, Heffalump, Gloucester Old Spot, and Green Tear.

Alan, I go into snowdrop mode as soon as the first flower blooms in the fall, which is G. reginae-olgae on October 15 in my garden.  Then I start obsessing over all my November flowering forms of G. elwesii and don't "unobsess" until April.

I like your criteria of viewing a clump in the garden for the purposes of evaluation. Your discussion of Wendy's Gold as unique or not is exactly the information that is helpful to newer galanthophiles.  I think of Wendy's Gold as unique but only have Primrose Warburg and  Lady Elphinstone (and soon Spindlestone Surprise) to compare it to.  I hope other experienced forum members will chime in with the same kind of information about other nominees.

[Alan_b]

You've chanced upon a good case in point, Carolyn, two 'yellow' snowdrops of different origin that look very similar, Primrose Warburg and Spindlestone Surprise ( http://www.independent.co.uk/property/gardening/snowdrop-season-can-you-tell-your-primrose-warburg-from-your-spindlestone-surprise-8493691.html ).

Wendy's Gold and Wandlebury Ring both originate from the same locale, an area of parkland and woodland called Wandlebury Ring a few miles from where I live, so it is hardly surprising they are similar.  If you look at them side-by-side you will see that one grows slightly larger than the other and one has a slightly fuller mark on the inner petals.  But if I see one of them in isolation I find it difficult to tell which it is; others may have no problem.  Statistically it is much more likely to be Wendy's Gold as that one has been much more widely distributed.

It is in the interests of nurserymen who make a living selling snowdrops to peddle their wares as unique and different so I suspect quite a lot of selection goes on behind the scenes and many snowdrops that look too similar to existing ones never see the light of day.     

[mark smyth]

I too wouldn't know how to tell the difference between Primrose and Surprise

Can someone really know the difference between all the virescent snowdrops?

[mark smyth]

please edit the list yourselves .....

Ailwyn
Anglesey Abbey
Augustus
Blewbury Tart
Diggory
EA Bowles
Elizabeth Harrison
Fly Fishing
Gloucester Old Spot
Godfrey Owen
Green Mile
Green Tear
Hans Guck
Heffalump
Hill Poe
Lady Beatrix Stanley
Lady Elphinstone
Lapwing
Modern Art
Peter Gatehouse
Rosemary Burnham
Sickle
Sophie North
South Hayes
Swanton
Trymposter
Walrus
Wasp
Wendy's Gold

[MR GRUMPY]

Mark,
         I would add 'Blue Magnet' and 'Yellow Angel' to your list.I wonder if you could tell 'Blewbury Tart' and 'Green Fingers'apart?and 'Ailwyn' and 'Lady Fairhaven' are very close,only flowering a week or two apart.

   Poc's...If you had one from each species,you would be able to tell them apart.

[Alan_b]

The longer a snowdrop cultivar exists, the more likely it is that someone will find another one that looks similar.  Just look at 'Magnet' which was followed by 'Wisley Magnet', 'Benton Magnet' and now 'Blue Magnet', which I don't think I have ever heard of before.  All these are distinguishable but still tend to make the original less distinct.  I presume 'Blue Magnet' is in a league of its own; does anyone have a picture?

There is also a chance that random mutations can result in diversity amongst what is nominally the same clone.  It's quite controversial whether 'Ailwyn' and 'Lady Fairhaven' are even distinct although Steve clearly believes he can tell one from the other due to flowering time.  Perhaps we should be allowed to group snowdrops together and say that Ailwyn/Lady Fairhaven are distinct from all other snowdrops if not from each other?

Yellow Angel is another new one to me but Marks's web site has a picture of that one and it looks pretty distinctive to me.     

[mark smyth]

   Poc's...If you had one from each species,you would be able to tell them apart.

Are there such plants available?

[mark smyth]

Yellow Angel

I thought Lady Fairhaven and Ailwyn were told apart by eyes or no eyes

[MR GRUMPY]

Alan,I've just looked back at my records for 'Ailwyn' and 'Lady Fairhaven'and i'm wrong about the flowering times .2010 both flowered with me 5th of February,2011 both on the same day again 28th of january,L F no flowers 2012,and this year 2013,27th of January.They were both bought from different suppliers.If anyone else has records of these two cultivars in their own garden,lets see if it's the same or two different plants,perhaps we could save some money!....

      'Blue Magnet'was christened last year,Sorry no pictures,But i spotted it from ten yards.Matt B should have abit more information,but it will be a long time before it's available.

       'Yellow Angel'...Mr Grimshaw wrote on his blog last year that this was the most significant snowdrop that he had seen in along time,I think that say's it all.

[MR GRUMPY]

Are there such plants available?

Mark, r-o Autumn Snow,plicatus E. A. Bowles,elwesii 'White Perfection'nivalis 'Mark Solomon' to name a few.There is alot more.You should be able to tell those apart,and forget about the names and just enjoy the different forms.

[mark smyth]

Thanks Steve and oops - I forgot I have elwesii White Perfection

[MR GRUMPY]

Another one that should be added to the list,Is Alan's 'Green Light' ,That stands out.

 

[Gerard Oud]

I noticed through the years that when i explained to people how to look at snowdrops it opened a complete new world to them! And in that opinion you dont need a list, just take youre time and have a good look at it in all its appearances.
The better you look the more you see!  Just dont rush and dont try to compete with others.
Only when its a quiz!