Galanthus in March 2017

[Cephalotus]

Thank you Alan for the name 'Nobody's Prank' I couldn't remind it. Thank you Wim for the name 'Dreisporn'. I don't know how to set my eyes on finding something in particular like a poculiformis or a form without inner petals. I just wander around and look at as many plants as I can and analyse them. For the first time I had glasses, which I needed for quite some time. I felt like I could see everything. I really could see minor details from a large distance that in previous years I could see from at most two meters. That is why I could find more and I really did.

Chris, Quite interesting color variation pattern on these leaves you have shown. Just yesterday, a gentleman from British Columbia Canada posted a photo of a recent find of his with very similar markings as these. I will ask him permission to use his photo here to show you.

Fun to see this one and I hope it is not some pathogen.

Rick,
thank you for the amazing photo of Mr. Cal Mateer's finding, it really is similar to mine. what I found is G. nivalis, all my findings are that species. We don't have any other in Poland. You also wrote my worry... I also hope it has no virus or something, which causes that interesting marking. Could it have a virus and stick with other plants and not infect it? :/ Is there even a way to check that without looking at the genes?

Here are a few more findings from yesterday:

4. On Saturday I ended with finding the one without inner petals, than I started with the same form in totally different population. There were at least four more of it in small distance so it seemed like it started forming a subpopulation. They were all around a step or two away from each other, so I doubt that all were just growing deformations. The second unopened flower I opened by force to check it and it also had only three outer petals.


5. Weird and interesting.


6. That one had very pale marking, I liked it, so I took a photo.


7. The only complete poculiformis I was able to find this year... in compare to past years, this was a rare finding.


8. A monster type, that had only one outer petal. I wonder if it cold progress in its feature and loose the petal at some point? Is there a G. nivalis with only inner petals?


9. For me that was one of the most rare findings in those populations. I rarely saw any progress of the inner marking in those populations. It is easier to find barely any or very pale marking rather than green marking leaking up to the half of the inner petals. I loved that form for a long time and it was so amazing to see it in reality. It really stood out.


10. This clump had entirely green leaves. I saw plants with more or less green leaves, but that one was really entirely green and in a clump.


11. That was the last and a curious finding. It had the upper part of the flower stalk yellow. There was also another individual nearby with less yellow colour. I wonder if there is such form in cultivation, I guess there is. It really stands out.


I had a lot of fun wandering between the masses of snowdrops with glasses on (my new superpowers) and another person as a company. Again, it was very relaxing to wander in snowdrops forest. Finding something specific just made it more like an adventure.

[Alan_b]

We have already discussed snowdrops with no inner petals.  Snowdrops with "only inner petals" (i.e. just three petals in total) are unknown (to me) in cultivation.  A lot of snowdrops lose their outer petals when going over so this type would be very hard to spot.  Nivalis with bright green leaves are quite easy to find in some areas; you need to look for bright green leaves and some other feature of interest.  Don't bother with bright green leaves and green tips to the outer petals; that one's been done.

[lettuce begin]

This one has a very special mark, which I like ! Hope You´ll propagate that one.

Freve  has been doing well in the gardens and it is now bulking up so fingers crossed .

With a mature bulb and some sun it is a lovely drop.

[Brian Ellis]

And then there is this freaky thing , first spotted in 2015, happen across it again on Friday, it might get a name and up in Matts new book

Well, I always said I wasn't into spikies, but 'The Alburgh Claw' has converted me and I'd happily give yours a home too Emma.  Thanks for showing us.

[Cephalotus]

We have already discussed snowdrops with no inner petals.  Snowdrops with "only inner petals" (i.e. just three petals in total) are unknown (to me) in cultivation.  A lot of snowdrops lose their outer petals when going over so this type would be very hard to spot.  Nivalis with bright green leaves are quite easy to find in some areas; you need to look for bright green leaves and some other feature of interest.  Don't bother with bright green leaves and green tips to the outer petals; that one's been done.

I know that there are forms with green leaves in cultivation and a lot of forms with green marking on the outer petals, but searching through any population is just a lot of fun for me. Some have potential to make some types of forms and other are rare and unique. Finding a clump of a form with entirely green leaves is making me smile more than finding a poculiformis either complete or incomplete. Same goes for entirely green marking on the inner petals, which I don't think to be anything special in general, because there are such forms available to buy even now.

I was searching for forms away from my home, while it seems I had something quite nicely looking in my own garden. I have found several viridapice forms in nearby park. Only one had opened flowers, the rest were still long way to open. I took samples of each of them and grew them in my cousins garden - I had no place for new snowdrops at that time. I barely saw them, so I didn't know how some looked like, especially those later flowering ones. One seems to look similar to a spring snowflake. Is it something interesting? It does look interesting to me.

[Alan_b]

...One seems to look similar to a spring snowflake. Is it something interesting? It does look interesting to me.

It looks both interesting and attractive to me.  I would happily grow it in my garden.

[Mariette]

I know that there are forms with green leaves in cultivation and a lot of forms with green marking on the outer petals, but searching through any population is just a lot of fun for me. Some have potential to make some types of forms and other are rare and unique. Finding a clump of a form with entirely green leaves is making me smile more than finding a poculiformis either complete or incomplete. 

In my garden, I prefer snowdrops with green leaves, even if the flowers are not special. After flowering, the green leaves simply blend better in the fresh springgrowth of perennials and shrubs than the greyish or glaucous ones do. Therefore, I´m always glad to discover new clones or may acquire them.

Alas, Chris Ireland-Jones recently told me, that green-leaved varieties are not popular with customers and because of that not attractive to propagate.

[Cephalotus]

In my garden, I prefer snowdrops with green leaves, even if the flowers are not special. After flowering, the green leaves simply blend better in the fresh springgrowth of perennials and shrubs than the greyish or glaucous ones do. Therefore, I´m always glad to discover new clones or may acquire them.

Alas, Chris Ireland-Jones recently told me, that green-leaved varieties are not popular with customers and because of that not attractive to propagate.

That is why I hope to officially name one green leaved form that is not that common in its flowers, because it has shaded marking on the inner petals. I want it to be named 'Trust' since the colour of trust is green-yellow. It already grew in three different gardens and remained stable in its shaded marking and green leaves.
That is my plant:


It divides slowly, but regularly, and seems to be quite tolerant.

The one with green markings on the outer petals has regular, gray leaves.

[Alan_b]

If you grow many snowdrops then I think a clump of the green-leaved ones can really stand out by contrast with the more regular glaucous colour.  But a single pair of green leaves does not give the same effect so as snowdrops are usually sold as single bulbs I can understand why this feature is overlooked.  The trick, which you can pass-on to Chris Ireland-Jones, is to sell a pot of several bulbs.  This seemed to work for me when I sold a few pots of 'Green Light' at the HPS sale.   

[WimB]

Green-leaved varieties can really catch the eye but like Alan says, you need a clump...

[Shauney]

A group of one eyed snowdrops and each bulb has two stems. Is this something new?

[Cfred72]

Green-leaved varieties can really catch the eye but like Alan says, you need a clump...

(Attachment Link)

Totally agree

[Maggi Young]

To be honest, no matter how much fun it may be to admire a 'drop in a pot or even in the ground - I feel they are definitely prettier when growing well  in clumps in the garden.  Not clumps that are too congested, mind!

[Maggi Young]

Question for you 'drop fiends -  who knows the story of Galanthus plicatus 'Eric Watson'  ? 
Is it the same as  Galanthus ECW93 ?

[Blonde Ingrid]

This morning's patrol was the last hurrah of the green machine!

Another from Andy Byfield provisionally called Goatee Green Tip, which I have been garden trialling for a couple of years.

Andy describes it as: '"The variety is a hybrid, probably of byzatinus x nivalis, and came from the colony where the likes of Fanny & Northern Lights came from"

The flowers are a mix of a super green with a clean brilliant white. It is bulking well and I now have a number of offsets.

Nova Gorica 15 from Joze Bavcon in Slovenia. I am not usually a fan of the odder drops but this is a belter. Very strange outers which are highly attractive.

Rushmere Green an acquisition from Judy's Snowdrops. Quite slow, it did not flower in the first two years but has bulked enormously instead. Very nice virescent.

Hugh Mackenzie another great looking green.