Are you seeing snowdrops or snowflakes?

January 26, 7:37 PMSF Gardening ExaminerChris McLaughlin

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Snowflakes (Leucojum aestivum)

There are some beautiful bulbs blooming in Bay Area gardens right now. How many of you have those little white Snowdrops bowing their heads? Are you sure? Look carefully – are they snowdrops or snowflakes? These two winter-blooming bulbs are easily mixed up. Here are the differences between the two cold lovers.

Snowflakes (Leucojum aestivum) are native to the Mediterranean and North Africa. There are ten different species of Leucojum; however, the one that is blooming now is aestivum. It is often called, ‘summer snowflake’, which is a misnomer considering it blooms mid-winter to early spring. The leaves of the snowflake are strap-like with the stalk poking up above them, holding two to five nodding flowers. The flowers have six nearly identical tepals (three sepals and three petals). If you look closely, you will see a bright green spot near the end of each tepal.

Snowdrops (Galanthus)

Snowdrops (Galanthus spp.) are native to Europe and Asia Minor. Snowdrops have strap-like leaves and nodding, white flowers. But these bear one flower one per stalk. The snowdrop’s flowers are also bell-shaped; however, when the buds are open, they have three longer outer petals and three shorter inner petals. There is one green spot in the very middle of the flower. Some species have the green spots on the outer petals as well, but the difference in the elongated petals is quite obvious. Before the flowers of snowdrops open, they resemble drops of milk on the ends of the stalk. Snowdrop also usually bloom closer to the end of winter, early spring.

Lilly-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis)

Neither snowflakes, nor snowdrops should be confused with lilly-of-the-valley’s (Convallaria majalis) arching stems of waxy white bells and broad leaves. Lilly-of-the-valley makes her debut in spring.