Galanthus in March 2017

[Alan_b]

In 2013 I found two separate clumps of snowdrops where all the scapes had produced two (i.e. twin) flowers.  I was allowed to take several bulbs from each clump.  One specimen produces a scape with twin flowers every year or two (so that would be <10% probability).  The other one has never done it again.  I have another snowdrop that randomly but infrequently produces albino flowers.  If one looks for unusual snowdrops one has to be reconciled to the fact that not all of them will fulfil their initial promise.       

[Maggi Young]

  If one looks for unusual snowdrops one has to be reconciled to the fact that not all of them will fulfill their initial promise.       

And, it seems to me, if one buys  unusual snowdrops one must reconcile oneself to the fact  that many will be unstable and either not produce the same effect each year, or else will take  some years to  "settle down" - makes you wonder why we bother, doesn't it?!!

[Blonde Ingrid]

And, it seems to me, if one buys  unusual snowdrops one must reconcile oneself to the fact  that many will be unstable and either not produce the same effect each year, or else will take  some years to  "settle down" - makes you wonder why we bother, doesn't it?!!

Does rather depend on who you buy them from! Some suppliers seem more prone than others.

[WimB]

Galanthus nivalis 'Fairy Tails and an unnamed nivalis form.

EDIT:  please note this Galanthus nivalis white poculiform 'Fairy Tail' was formally described by Krzysztof Ciesielski in International Rock Gardener e-magazine 88 -http://www.srgc.org.uk/.../2017Apr271493318724IRG88.pdf

[Maggi Young]

'Fairy Tail' - what a sweet name!

[WimB]

'Fairy Tails' - what a sweet name!

It really is, very poetic. This Galanthus was found and named by Chris Ciesielski (Cephalotus on this forum).

[Maggi Young]

Chris has a lot of poetry in his soul!

[Tiggrx]

A 4x4 Galanthus woronowii in my lawn. I've not seen any of this colony produce flowers like this in past years so I assume it will be a temporary aberration.

[Shauney]

A small wood full of nivalis. Not quite at its best now but still lovely to walk through.

[Alan_b]

A small wood full of nivalis....

Have a look and see if you can see seedlings.  Some nivalis populations in the UK are sterile, or nearly so.  Over time they can still build-up to form large swathes but apart from the odd random mutation they are all the same.  In sterile populations the visual effect is still good but the chances of finding something new and unusual are vastly diminished. 

[Shauney]

It's definitely a seeding population with plenty of seedlings a lot of variations in the colour and pattern of markins.

[Alan_b]

Then I'm sure if you look long and hard enough you will find interesting ones.  Green tips on the outer petals are quite frequent rarities, as are ones like 'Magnet' with long pedicels.  You might find poculiforms where the inners look like outers and snowdrops that are inversely poculiform where the outers look like inners.  You might find some where parts of the flower are yellow rather than green and there are other exotic forms possible.     

[Hannelore]

We  are about 4 weeks later in the Taunus hills:


Photo made today, sort unknown.

[Cephalotus]

Galanthus nivalis 'Fairy Tails' and an unnamed nivalis form.

the poculiformis doesn't have any official name yet, but of course I would like to do it. I just have to mention that it's 'Fairy Tail' without "s". Small letter, small mistake. ;-) Please, note that the name is not a mistake and it's not 'Fairy Tale'. It is "a tail of a fairy". It's multiplying very well and it's already growing in more than three gardens, remaining the same - beautiful.

EDIT:  please note this Galanthus nivalis white poculiform 'Fairy Tail'  was formally described by Krzysztof Ciesielski in International Rock Gardener e-magazine 88 - http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2017Apr271493318724IRG88.pdf 



I have some new findings from this year and I really hope that at least one of them is something that world have not seen yet. I had a great company for the first time - my other half. ;-) Here we go:

1.

If you look closer, it has hook-shaped outer petals, while the inners look like they have been eaten by something, but they were not. They were just deformed in such way. As you see there were a whole clump of it, so this weird feature is stable. The same time it is a bit variable, since not every specimen has outer petals hook-shaped.

2.

I haven't seen a variagated form of Galanthus. I saw yellow-leaved "semi-albino" forms or how they are properly called, but never something like that. It was not made due to something laying on this clump, because it was in the middle of the forest and there was no trace of anything giving any problems for this plant to grow. I noticed that there were three plants in the clump and even a single-leaved individual, all had that specific marking on the leaves. It looks just amazing in contrast with regular snowdrops.

3.

I already saw someone had found such form without inner petals. If I am not mistaken it was from Ukraine. It also had a name with "prank" in it, but can't find it now. This plant also doesn't have any trace of inner petals. There were two plants, although only one flowering. It was amazing to see something like that for my own eyes.

That three forms generally make it all for seven hours of wandering in one forest. Tomorrow is another day and another adventure.
edit:  sorry, these photos no longer available from outside host.

[Alan_b]

'Nobody's Prank' is an elwesii without any inner petals.  It came from the village of Kencot in Oxfordshire.  Several other snowdrops of the same type have been found recently.  Perhaps after peoples' minds became open to the possibility of this type of snowdrop, they started to see them?