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Dr. Cynthia Skema is a Botanical Scientist at the Morris Arboretum. 

Two similar plant species caught my attention at the Morris this week because of their attractive and early season blooms: Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop) and Leucojum vernum (spring snowflake). Often called “harbingers of spring,” both are bulb plants and have nodding flowers, sometimes spotted peeking through snow (hence the common names). Their mostly white flowers explain their generic names: Galanthus means “milk flower” and Leucojum “white violet,” both from (ancient) Greek. Their physical similarities are no mere coincidence, but instead the products of evolution as the two are related. Leucojum and Galanthus are sister genera in the tribe Galantheae, along with a third genus Acis (Larsen et al., 2010) and they all belong in the plant family Amaryllidaceae, also home to commonly cultivated amaryllis and daffodils.

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Let’s consider the form of the three genera in tribe Galantheae. The easiest way to tell Galanthus apart from the other two genera is by the three large outer and three small inner tepals (petal-like structures) seen in its flowers, while Leucojum and Acis both have six equal-sized tepals (also three outer and three inner by position). Both Leucojum and Galanthus have markings on their six tepals, while Acis has none. One last characteristic is that Leucojum typically has a hollow scape, while the scape is solid in Galanthus and Acis. If you’re a fan of garlic scapes, you’ll know that word – it describes the robust stalk that holds the collection of flowers (inflorescence) aloft in all of these plants.

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Both of these species are native to Europe (Galanthus extends into southwest Asia) and Galanthus nivalis is generally considered as naturalized in the eastern U.S. Here at the Morris, these two plants are dotted around the grounds, and the best place to see them in greater number and in proximity to one another is not far from the tabletop elm. There is a large patch of snowflakes next to the wooden bridge – not surprising as this species likes a wetter spot – just downstream from the Swan Pond and nearby, under the large Metasequoia (closest to the Garden Railway), is a patch of snowdrops.

If you’re enraptured by Galanthus at first view, or have admired them for awhile, you could be a future “galanthophile” – the term used for snowdrop enthusiasts! With over 700 cultivars and 19 species within Galanthus, floral variation abounds, including doubled flowers, outsized or otherwise odd-shaped tepal markings, orange to yellow (rather than green) tepal markings, etc. As many galanthophiles have, you could spend your life collecting and cultivating them in all their diversity. Those particularly interested in such an endeavor are referred to the definitive guide to cultivated snowdrops by Bishop, Davis & Grimshaw (2006) for all the needed details and inspiring photographs. Perhaps even an early spring trip to the great snowdrop gardens of Europe, such as Colesbourne Gardens outside of Gloucester, England, is in order for the particularly diehard fans.

References:

• Bishop, M., A.P. Davis & J. Grimshaw. (2006) Snowdrops: A monograph of cultivated Galanthus. Griffin Press, Maidenhead, U.K.
• Larsen, M.M., A. Adersen, A.P. Davis, M.D. Lledó, A.K. Jäger & N. Rønsted. 2010. Using a phylogenetic approach to selection of target plants in drug discovery of acetylcholinesterase inhibiting alkaloids in Amaryllidaceae tribe Galantheae. Biochemical Systematics & Ecology 38: 1026-1034.
• Straley, G.B. & F.H. Utech. 2023. Galanthus, Galanthus nivalis. Flora of North America online [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=113145]. Accessed 10 March 2023.
• Straley, G.B. & F.H. Utech. 2023. Leucojum. Flora of North America online [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=118398]. Accessed 10 March 2023.