Description and photo of snowdrops. Snowdrop - the first breath of spring “Box” in which snowdrop seeds are formed
Everyone knows whose photo is even in the children's primer. It's small beautiful plant first to come to life after winter. First it produces a couple of leaves, and very soon it blooms with white bells with drooping heads. He is not afraid of winter frosts or snow. And if numerous white bells carpet sure sign that spring is coming. After all, it is the snowdrop flower that warns us about the approach of warm days.
Description
Scientifically, this plant is called galanthus. It belongs to the genus of perennial herbs from the Amaryllis family, which includes eighteen subspecies. The plant is most common in the Crimea, the Caucasus and the Most species - about sixteen - are found in the Caucasus.
No one names the exact number of varieties of this plant. The snowdrop flower, so beloved by us, the photo of which even children will recognize, is a low herbaceous plant with two linear leaves up to twenty centimeters long. They come out immediately, simultaneously with the flower stalks.
Single, drooping bells have a white perianth consisting of six leaflets. The outer three are elliptical or obovate, while the inner ones are wedge-shaped and have a green spot at the top. Snowdrop is a flower with a pleasant, but very weak scent. It has round, fleshy fruits in the form of a box with three compartments. They contain a few black seeds. The latter have a succulent appendage to attract ants, which take them away and thus spread the plants.
The snowdrop flower has ovoid or conical bulbs, which are a compact group of modified leaves planted on one common base.
Landing
The best time to plant this plant is from July to September. If there is a long warm autumn, planting can be extended until early November. Today on the market the snowdrop flower is often sold in bloom, but this is not entirely correct, because as soon as planting material ends up in the ground, its leaves wither and turn yellow, and soon die completely. And although the bulb remains alive, it can be weakened. True, on next year such a plant blooms weakly or does not bloom at all, although it does not die.
Peculiarities
Galanthus bulbs do not tolerate drying. They cannot be kept in the air for more than a month, but if it is not possible to plant them in the ground, they should be sprinkled with sawdust or shavings and placed in a plastic bag. Planting bulbs is carried out according to the following rule: they are placed in loose soil at a depth equal to two bulbs, and in heavy soil at a depth equal to one bulb. But in any case, you cannot plant snowdrops deeper than five centimeters.
Snowdrop is a flower that itself regulates the depth of germination of its root system. If it is planted too deep, it forms a new bulb on the peduncle, but at the required depth.
Growing
First spring flower- snowdrop loves shaded but sun-warmed places and soil with good drainage. When transplanting wild species, you need to choose a more illuminated area. This culture is winter-hardy, which is not surprising. After all, the first snowdrop is a flower that breaks right out from under the snow. In autumn, galanthus should be covered with a small layer of loose compost.
You need to be careful when feeding this crop. Snowdrops do not tolerate fresh manure, so complex mineral fertilizers are most suitable for them.
These plants are bred for floral decoration plots. They look very beautiful in large groups, both in rock gardens and as carpets - under bushes and trees in light partial shade. Some landscape designers use snowdrops to create white lawns in the middle of lawns.
Species
The Amaryllis family includes eighteen species. The most common of them is the white snowdrop. His homeland is the forests of the Carpathians. The flower reaches fifteen centimeters in height. This species also includes Viridapisis, which blooms in February, Lutescens, which has an identifying mark - a yellow spot, as well as double Flore Pleno, Pusi Green Tip, Ophelia and many others.
Another species is the Elwes snowdrop, native to Asia. It, unlike previous varieties, is taller - up to twenty-five centimeters. He has bluish-green wide leaves, large spherical This is the very first snowdrop. Its flower appears in early February. Today, many Elwes hybrids have been bred, which are distinguished by decorativeness and great endurance. The most popular is the Arnott variety with large flowers that have a fragrant aroma.
Other species such as Galanthus plicatus or Folded, which gave rise to many interesting garden forms, Icarian, which came to us from Greece and today grows beautifully in Krasnaya Polyana in Sochi, as well as snowdrops of Forster, Voronov and many others are widespread in the botanical gardens of our country.
Uncontrolled collection of these wonderful representatives flora led to the fact that many varieties had to be listed in the Red Book. This means that every year it becomes more and more difficult to meet them in the natural environment.
Home care
These flowers can be grown not only in the yard, but also at home - in a pot or bowl. The snowdrop, which is the first to bloom among all bulbous plants, produces buds in the middle of winter. To do this, it must be taken out of the room.
Since we are talking about a very hardy and cold-loving plant that can survive at temperatures up to ten degrees below zero, it is not difficult to guess that it is warm room will die. Therefore, during flowering, you need to keep the snowdrop in a very cold room.
Conditions for growing at home
Two months after planting should be kept in complete darkness. Then he will need to completely exclude direct sunlight.
The optimal temperature for the bulb in the dark is about zero degrees, and during flowering - a maximum of 10 ° C, otherwise the plant will die.
After planting the bulb, the soil should be thoroughly moistened and then left alone, without watering, until the pot is moved to light. After this, it is necessary to maintain soil moisture by watering twice a week.
Snowdrops cannot be sprayed. At the same time, during flowering they need good ventilation, and when it ends, they need to cut off the wilted heads and let the leaves die naturally. If the plants have been fed, they need to be transplanted into open ground. Otherwise, they will not bloom again in the same pot.
The best species to grow at home is Galantus nivalis - a common snowdrop that blooms from mid-winter to April. Today, unfortunately, you can rarely find this flower in an apartment or even in a garden. And in vain! After all, even when winter still reigns all around, you can be sure that its days are numbered, when from under the snow, crawling through dead wood, a snowdrop flower appears on the site, and when it grows at home in a pot, then the “weather” is good and the mood in the family secured.
If you ask someone to name the first spring flower, the answer will undoubtedly be snowdrop. These cute miniature flowers in thawed patches of snow evoke delight and tenderness in everyone. Indeed, snowdrops are the first to open their inflorescences after a long cold winter on lawns near the house or in the forest.
First, two green leaves appear, and then drooping heads of inflorescences appear white. They're not afraid snowy weather, frosts and night frosts in spring. Therefore, snowdrops soon become a true decoration of any site. In addition, this is a sure sign that winter will soon end and spring is already on the doorstep.
General description
The snowdrop proudly represents the Amaryllidaceae family, a genus of perennial herbaceous plants with almost 18 species. Flowers are most widespread in the European region, the Crimean Peninsula, the Caucasus and Asia Minor. You can see in the photo different types snowdrops. However, in the Caucasus you can find almost 16 varieties of the flower. Snowdrop or galanthus comes from the Latin Galanthus.
Scientists still cannot come to a consensus on how many plant species there are. Sometimes they cannot even unanimously identify the found flower as belonging to any existing or emerging species.
But in nature sometimes there are varieties of plants with a pair of elongated leaves about 10-20 cm and the simultaneous appearance of a peduncle. The shape of the flower is bell-shaped, the inflorescence droops downwards, the flowers grow one at a time. The white perianth has six leaflets. Three of them are external, elliptical in shape, the remaining are internal, in the form of a wedge, at the peak of which there is a green spot, possibly a small notch.
The smell of snowdrops is pleasant, but not strong and even rather very weak. The shape of the fruit resembles a round, full box, which has three compartments for storing a small amount of black seeds.
The juicy appendage located on the seeds attracts ants, and they, in turn, take them away in all directions, expanding the halo of growth.
Flowers have a root system in the form of an ovoid or conical bulb. Outwardly, it resembles a compact collection of thick scales or deformed leaves, fixed on a thick bottom. Daughter bulbs grow from buds located in the axils of the scales.
The upper scales are used to protect against damage; they are thinner, drier and darker in color. Due to the bulb, which is a store of nutrients, the plant tolerates unfavorable conditions well. climatic conditions, being at rest for about 9 months.
Absolutely all types of snowdrops are protected objects; moreover, their rarest species are at the stage of extinction, and it is possible to bring these species back to life only if they are grown in cultivation.
The name of the flower is Greek origin, therefore translated as milky flower, which most likely reflects the color of the inflorescence. People say that it was given this name for its ability to grow among the snow and bloom with the first breath of spring, regardless of weather conditions.
There are many legends about these amazing delicate flowers. For example, about Adam and Eve. When they were expelled from the Garden of Eden, the winter cold reigned all around, and snow was blowing. Eve cried from the cold, remembering the lost warmth of paradise. To console her, God created some snowdrops from the swarming snowflakes. This means that they are not only the first spring flowers, but also the first flowers on our planet.
Features of cultivation
It is better to purchase bulbs and plant them from July to September, during which time they are dormant. If autumn is warm, then planting can be moved until November.
You should not purchase plants with blossoming inflorescences, otherwise they will not survive after planting. In this case, the bulb will not die. In the near future it will bloom sluggishly or not bloom at all, but it will be alive.
When purchasing dormant bulbs, pay attention to their condition. Choose bulbs with a dense structure, weighty, with an intact shell, without shoots of stems and rhizomes, with an intact bottom, without mold, dents or deformations. If the bulbs are soft, it means they are already rotting.
You should not store the plant bulbs for a long time; they may dry out, as they will not tolerate being in the air for more than a month. If it is not possible timely landing, you need to place them in a perforated bag with sawdust or shavings. Their shelf life in this form will be 2-3 months.
When planting snowdrops, loosen the soil and lower the bulbs into the ground approximately 5 cm (at least). The flowers themselves will cope with adjusting the depth, since when the bulb is placed deep, they will release another one on the flower stem, thereby adjusting the size of the depth.
But it is not at all necessary to maintain a certain depth value. The only caveat of shallowly deepening the bulb is that the bulbs themselves will be smaller, but “babies” will quickly appear.
Snowdrops love shady but warm, sunny places with excellent soil drainage. Tolerant to low temperature conditions. The soil should be moist, loosened, nutritious and drained. No special watering regime is required, except during periods of drought.
Snowdrop photo
Snowdrop (Galanthus)- herbaceous plant the Amaryllis family, a genus of perennial herbs (there are about 20 species in nature, most of which grow in the Caucasus and Asia).
Biologists cannot say exactly how many species of snowdrops exist today, since they have several opinions on this matter. However, they are all confident that the number of varieties of the plant exceeds 18. Snowdrops of many species are in many ways similar to each other and have approximately the same sizes, and they received their names either from the place where they grew, or in honor of the people who discovered and studied them.
Snowdrops are one of the first flowers to bloom immediately after the snow cover melts, and many people can easily recognize them even in photos, but for those who are still unfamiliar with snowdrops, we will give brief description and the name of the most common species of this plant.
Admiring these fragile flowers, few people thought about what types of snowdrops are listed in the Red Book, although in fact, almost all of them are noted in it, except for the snow-white snowdrop. All species are threatened with extinction to some degree because they are found in wildlife only in certain areas in limited quantities, and deforestation, destruction of soil in places where they grow, environmental pollution and digging up their bulbs for cultivation at home can affect the disappearance of such a plant as snowdrop.
We will now tell you what a real snowdrop of each of the main species looks like, and the attached photos will clearly demonstrate the beauty of these marvelous plants.
Did you know? The name "snowdrop" literally means "milk flower".
Alpine snowdrop (Galanthus alpinus) - a herbaceous bulbous plant, the length of the bulb is 25-35 mm, and the diameter is 15-20 mm. Broadly-lanceolate leaves of a dark green color, up to 7 cm long, although after flowering they can grow up to 20 cm. The peduncle reaches a length of 7-9 cm, the outer perianth leaves are obovate, slightly concave, up to 20 mm wide and up to 10 mm long, the inner ones are half the size, wedge-shaped, with a depression surrounded by a greenish spot.
The plant begins to bloom 4 years after planting. It blooms in late winter and early spring with white flowers, and in late spring a fruit with small seeds appears. Reproduction is possible as by seed method, and vegetatively - with the help of baby bulbs that are formed in an adult plant. The homeland of the alpine snowdrop is the lower and alpine zones, as well as Western Transcaucasia. 
Snowdrop Byzantine
Byzantine snowdrop (Galanthus byzantinus) grows on the Asian coast of the Bosphorus. Flower growers in Western European countries love to grow it, although in our country this species has not yet become widespread. Prefers turfed open areas. Byzantine snowdrop is the closest variety of folded snowdrop.
Its flowering period occurs in autumn: first, a low peduncle with a green spot appears at the base of the inner perianth leaves. Appearance Snowdrop is unusual: a white carved flower with many long petals. The leaves are green, narrow, approximately 5-6 cm long, erect. 
Caucasian snowdrop (Galanthus caucasicus) - a plant with linear flat shiny green leaves, reaching a length of up to 25 cm. The bulb is yellowish, up to 40 mm long, up to 25 mm in diameter. A peduncle 6-10 cm high produces a white fragrant flower 20-25 mm long and approximately 15 mm in diameter.
Perianth lobes with inside are partially green in color. Flowering occurs from the end of March and lasts 12-15 days. Fruiting is irregular, and shelter is required for wintering. The Caucasian snowdrop's habitat is more concentrated in Central Transcaucasia.
Important! Snowdrop bulbs are poisonous, so protective gloves should be used when replanting this plant.
Bortkevich's snowdrop (Galanthus bortkewitschianus) grows in the wild in the North Caucasus, preferring beech plantations. It received its name in honor of the dendrologist Bortkevich.
The bulb of the plant is approximately 30-40 mm long, 20-30 mm in diameter. Snowdrop leaves are rich green in color with a bluish tint, lanceolate, during the flowering period they are 4-6 cm long, but after that they grow to 25-30 cm in length and up to 2 cm in width. The peduncle grows approximately 5-6 cm high with a wing and peduncle 3-4 cm long. The Bortkevich snowdrop flower can be characterized by the following description: the outer perianth leaves are concave, reverse ovoid, approximately 15 mm long and 8-10 mm wide, with a depression at the apex and green coloring around the recess.
Krasnov's snowdrop (G. krasnovii) grows by Black Sea coast Caucasus and Turkey, prefers beech, hornbeam and mixed forests. The flower received its name in honor of the botanist A. Krasnov.
The bulb of the plant is 20-35 mm long, 20-25 mm in diameter, and the bright green leaf during flowering reaches a length of 11-17 cm and a width of about 2 cm; after flowering, the leaves grow up to 25 cm. The peduncle reaches 13- 15 cm, with a wing up to 4 cm long, with barely noticeable green keels. The outer perianth leaves are slightly concave, 2-3 cm long, and about 1 cm wide, the inner ones are elongated with a pointed end, 10-15 cm long, about 5 mm wide. Flowering occurs in early spring.
Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) most widespread in our country, growing rapidly, spreading over quite large areas.The bulb is spherical, with a diameter of 10-20 mm. The leaves are flat, rich green, approximately 10 cm long, peduncles grow up to 12 cm high. The flowers are very large, up to 30 mm in diameter, and have a green spot on the edge of the tepals. The outer perianth leaves are elongated, the inner ones are much shorter, wedge-shaped.
The snow-white snowdrop blooms earlier than other species, and the flowering period lasts up to 25-30 days. This species has many varieties and varieties. Reproduction occurs as vegetative way, and seed, self-sowing is possible. 
Snowdrop (Galanthus plathyphyllus) has a large bulb up to 5 cm long, from which grow erect leaves, rich green in color, up to 16 cm long. A tall peduncle (up to 20 cm) produces a large white bell-shaped flower, the outer petals of which are elliptical in shape and cover the shorter and rounded ones internal. There are no notches on the petals, but there is a noticeable green spot.
The broadleaf snowdrop blooms in late spring for 18-21 days. Fruits are not formed; the plant reproduces by vegetative method. This species is common at the foot of the Alpine mountains, ideal for growing in our latitudes in fertile loose soil with sufficient lighting.
Did you know?It has been noted that longer and colder winters also extend the duration of snowdrop flowering in the spring.
Snowdrop (G. plicatus) is one of the most tall species snowdrops with a rather large flower and characteristic downward-curved edges of the leaves. It grows in the wild in the mountainous areas of Ukraine, Romania and Moldova.
The plant bulb is ovoid, up to 30 mm in diameter, covered with light-colored scales. The leaves are pale green with a bluish tint, but after flowering ends their color becomes dark green. The peduncle grows up to 20-25 cm, and on it there is a single fragrant drooping flower, 25-30 mm long and up to 40 mm in diameter, which subsequently produces a fruit-box with seeds.
Flowering begins in March and lasts approximately 20 days. Reproduction is by seed and bulbous. The folded snowdrop grows densely in the adjacent area; there can be up to 25 plants per 1 m², which, when blooming, form a beautiful flower bed.
Cilician snowdrop (G. silicicus) grows in the foothills of the mountains of Asia Minor and Transcaucasia. The bulb is wedge-shaped, 15-23 mm long, and up to 20 mm in diameter. The linear leaves are matte green and grow up to 15 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. Peduncle 14-16 cm long with a wing 3 cm long. The outer perianth leaves are 19-22 mm long, elongated oval, slightly tapering at the base, the inner ones are elongated, up to 10 mm long, have a depression at the apex with a partial green color. Flowering occurs in mid-spring. 
Corfu snowdrop (G. corcyrensis Stern)- got its name from its place of growth - the island of Corfu, and is also found in Sicily. Flowering occurs in late autumn, and characteristic feature This rare and endangered snowdrop is characterized by the simultaneous appearance of leaves and flowers. This species is medium in size, with a fairly large flower up to 25-30 mm long and 30-40 mm in diameter. The inner petals have a distinctive green pattern.
Elwes snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii) up to 25 cm high, grows in the territory Eastern Europe, it is also cultivated there. Leaves are up to 30 mm wide, bluish in color. The flowers are large, spherical, up to 5 cm long, and very fragrant. The inner tepals are marked with green spots. Flowering begins at the end of winter and lasts up to 30 days.
It got its name in honor of the collector M. Foster. Snowdrop of this species grows in Western Asia, but the cultivation of flowers occurs in Western Europe. Flowering begins early spring and lasts up to 15 days.
The leaves are narrow, lanceolate, up to 14 cm long, while the peduncle reaches a length of 10 cm. The flowers are medium in size. The outer tepals are concave, with characteristic green spots near the depression at the base, as well as at the tip of the inner leaf.
Greek snowdrop
Greek snowdrop (Galanthus graecus) grows in the forested foothills of Greece, Romania and Bulgaria.
The plant bulb is oblong, up to 15 mm long and up to 10 mm in diameter. The leaves are bluish-green, up to 8 cm long and up to 8 mm wide, the leaf blade is wavy. The peduncle grows up to 8-9 cm, the wing is about 3 cm. The outer narrow leaves of the perianth reach 25 mm in length, the inner ones are half as much.
Flowering begins in April and lasts up to 15 days. Reproduction is vegetative.
Important! Snowdrop bulbs require prompt planting within 12-18 hours after digging, since outside the ground they quickly dry out and die.
Icarian snowdrop (Galanthus ikariae Baker) grows on the rocky soil of the islands of Greece. Not cultivated in our country open ground.
The bulb is 20-30 mm long and 15-25 mm in diameter, the leaves are dull green in color, up to 9 cm long before flowering and grow up to 20 cm after it. The peduncle reaches a height of up to 22 cm, the wing - 2.5-4 cm. The outer leaves of the perianth are concave, lanceolate, up to 25 mm long. The inner leaves are wedge-shaped, up to 12 mm long, have a green spot that occupies half the area of the leaf. Flowering occurs in April.
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Snowdrop flowers are unpretentious harbingers of spring. In early spring, when the snow, tired of the winter, has not yet had time to disappear, in the mountains and foothills, on forest lawns, from under the snow, in barely thawed thawed patches, a snow-white, blue or purple miracle appears - early snowdrop flowers.
They usually grow in vast clearings, illuminated by the gentle rays of the cool, but gentle first spring sun. They amaze with their amazing fragile defenselessness and, at the same time, endless unpretentious endurance, emitting an attractive aroma, not very strong, but extremely pleasant.
A harbinger of spring and a symbol of hope for the long-awaited arrival of warmth - snowdrop flower. Description plants should begin with clarification: this miracle is usually born in March or April.
Soon after such a phenomenon to the world, its bud rushes towards the sun, over time forced to bend, appearing as if suspended on a bizarrely curved peduncle.
In the photo there are snowdrop flowers
Form snowdrop flowers reminds The unopened bud of the most common species, the snowdrop, also looks like a drop of snow, because that’s what the British call the plant.
About spring flowers, which have become the personification of the awakening of nature, there are many walking wonderful legends. According to one of them, Eve, expelled from paradise to the cold snowy earth, became very cold out of habit. And to please her at least a little, several fancy snowflakes turned into first snowdrop flowers, embodying the anticipation of future earthly joys.
Snow-white snowdrop is a plant with two linear dark green leaves that appear with flower stalks almost simultaneously, reaching a length of only about 10 cm.
The bract, consisting of two halves, protects the breaking bud. There is usually one flower with six separate petals on the arrow.
Three internal ones, with green top, have a cone-shaped shape and are surrounded by three elliptical, larger petals, which gives unique grace.
The growing season of the plant is not too long, and flowering lasts from several days to two weeks. Flowers disappear, ceasing to please the eye, along with the disappearance of the last snow, when the winter cover finally leaves the ground to give way to the green and bright multi-colored summer outfit of nature.
Being medicinal plant, snowdrops are used for medicinal purposes. However, this is done with great caution, since beautiful flowers can become extremely dangerous.
Planting and propagation
Typically in nature snowdrops– forest flowers. However, they can be found anywhere, but they simply adore moist, nutritious soil.
After the end of their flowering, the time comes for the formation of seeds. They ripen in a greenish-yellow, rounded, fleshy capsule with three compartments, are spherical in shape and black in color.
The “box” in which snowdrop seeds are formed
By this time, spring nature has finally awakened, and many small insects are developing vigorous activity. Among them are ants, eager to feast on the juicy appendage possessed by the grains of the snow-white snowdrop.
Thus, the little workers contribute to the spread of seeds, taking them away along the numerous underground passages they have dug.
Soon after this, upper part the plants die completely. All that remains is the bulb, which, surviving a long, harsh winter underground, next spring is able to give life to one new one, again capable of pleasing the eyes of others.
Even in the fall, the bulb gives new roots and accumulates inside itself nutrients. And already during this period, new flowers and leaves are formed, which, hatching, practically reach the surface of the earth, spending the winter in such a state that with the first rays of the sun, having overcome this barrier, they appear to the eye at a moment when the snow has not yet melted.
Snowdrop bulbs from which you can grow snowdrops
Snowdrops have been considered early spring flowers for several centuries now. ornamental plant. Also known and widespread indoor flower. But it will begin to delight with its flowering only six or seven years after sowing.
When growing flowers, gardeners should take into account that this representative of the flora is accustomed to growing under the canopy of trees, loving partial shade, but does not take root well in open spaces.
But in general, the plant is completely unpretentious, resistant to temperature changes and frost. However, it prefers loose soil, rich in fertilizers. If it lands in clay soil, it's better to add a little sand there.
Bulbs are usually planted at a depth corresponding to their double size. But even if this rule is not followed, unpretentious plant helps itself.
When planted deep, it forms another bulb, which grows on top of the previous one to better allow the sprouts to reach the soil surface. At a shallow planting depth, the bulb is crushed, forming babies.
It is better to purchase bulbs in late summer with the intention of planting them in the fall. They should be dense to the touch without rot or damage. When storing bulbs, you should not keep them in the open air, but sprinkle them with sawdust and put them in cotton bags.
When planting, the plant must be fed with nitrogen-free fertilizers rich in phosphorus and potassium in order to avoid excessive leaf growth. During dry spring, snowdrops require watering, but after flowering it is no longer needed.
Types of snowdrops
What colors are snowdrops? it just doesn’t exist in the world. In total, there are about eighteen species of the plant, which bears the elegant, sonorous botanical name “galanthus” and belongs to the amaryllis family.
For example, the already mentioned snow-white snowdrop, rightfully considered the most famous of all varieties of these flowers, mainly grows in the territory Central Europe.
Bortkevich's snowdrop
In the Caucasus, in meadows, limestone cliffs and beech forests, in early spring it is possible to observe the flowering of alpine and Caucasian varieties, as well as a species of snowdrops named after the forest scientist Bortkevich. The plants mentioned are usually low, reaching a length of no more than 7 cm.
The Byzantine snowdrop, common on the Bosphorus coast, where it grows in abundance among shrubs, differs from previous species in that it can delight with its flowering in winter and autumn.
Snowdrop Elwes
The Cilician variety and the Elwes snowdrop are found in the mountains of Asia Minor and southern Europe. The latter is distinguished by its tall growth (the length of its peduncles can reach 23 cm), has large spherical flowers, delighting with aroma and early flowering.
In late autumn, on the island of Corfu and in Sicily, the Corfu variety pleases the eye. Foster's snowdrop is common in Lebanon and is very similar to the broad-leaved Caucasian snowdrop. The Greek variety adorns the landscapes not only of this country, but also of Romania and Bulgaria.
There are flowers that look like snowdrops, so many people often confuse them. As a rule, these plants belong to the same family. One of these representatives of the flora is the white flower, which blooms not only in early spring, but also much later. This is also a bulbous plant, but its flower stalks reach a length of about 25 cm.
Number of snowdrops and protection from extermination
Appearing first in nature after a long winter, they cannot but be attractive and popular. It is for this reason that snowdrops become victims of merciless extermination.
Intemperate nature lovers thoughtlessly pick them, making many bouquets of flowers. Moreover, spring lawns are practically mowed down by enterprising traders who are trying to make such a miracle of nature a source of profit, taking advantage of the natural desire of many who want buy flowers snowdrops.
But not only for these reasons, this plant is found less and less often in its natural environment. Other factors include the merciless digging of bulbs by enthusiastic gardeners.
The number of flowers is also affected by a decrease in the area of forests, damage to the forest floor containing seeds and bulbs of plants, as well as others. environmental problems.
Currently Red Book characterizes snowdrops, as a rare species with the assignment of the third category to the plant. This means that wonderful flowers are not yet in danger of disappearing completely, but unfavorable conditions this threat still exists.
To protect rare species, reserves and sanctuaries are created. There are strict restrictions on the picking and sale of snowdrop flowers.
The snowdrop is the first to come to life after the long winter cold. First, green leaves appear on it, and then a white bud, similar to a bell with a drooping head. This flower is not afraid of either snow or frost. The appearance of snowdrops in the garden heralds the imminent arrival of spring. Photos of snowdrop flowers can be found in our gallery.
Description of the flower
IN scientific literature plant is called galanthus. Snowdrop is perennial grass and belongs to the Amaryllis family. It is distributed in the following areas:
- Crimea;
- Southern Europe;
- Asia Minor;
- Caucasus.
No one can accurately name the existing number of snowdrop varieties. This low herbaceous plant has two linear leaves that reach 20 cm in length. These leaves come out immediately along with the flower stalks. A single bell is surrounded by a white perianth, which consists of 6 leaves. The three petals are outer and elliptical in shape. The three inner leaves are wedge-shaped and have a green spot at the top. Although the flower has a pleasant smell, it is very faint.
The plant has round fruits in the shape of a box with 3 compartments, which contain a small amount of black seeds. The seeds have a succulent appendage that attracts ants. The ants take them away and thereby multiply the flower.
The snowdrop bulb has conical or egg-shaped , which has a compact group of modified leaves emerging from one common base. Snowdrop flower photo:
Landing
Most the right time The period for planting snowdrops is from July to September. If the autumn is warm for a long time, then planting can be extended until November. Currently, snowdrops are being sold already in bloom, which is not correct. After the flower is planted in the ground, all the leaves will wither and fall off, and then die completely. This bulb becomes very weak. Next year the plant may bloom weakly or will not bloom at all and will die.
The plant bulb does not like to dry out. Therefore, you should not keep them in the air for more than a month. If it is not possible to plant the bulb, you can sprinkle it with shavings and sawdust and place it in a bag. When planting, the snowdrop bulb is placed in the soil to a depth equal to two bulbs, if the soil is loose. And to a depth equal to one bulb if the soil is heavy. In both cases, the bulb cannot be deepened by more than 5 centimeters. Photo:
The flower has the ability to determine the depth to which it will be distributed. root system. If the bulb is planted deeply, it will form another bulb on the peduncle, which will grow at the required depth.
Growing
The plant loves dark, but sun-warmed places and good drainage. For wild species, when planting, you need to choose the most illuminated place. This type of snowdrop is winter-hardy. Autumn flower can be cover with a layer of loose compost.
This plant must be fertilized with extreme caution. The flower does not like fresh manure. It is best to fertilize the flower with mineral fertilizers.
Species
As mentioned earlier, the amaryllis family includes 18 types of snowdrops. The most famous are:
Some varieties of snowdrop have been included in the Red Book, since the collection of flowers is uncontrolled. It becomes more and more difficult to find snowdrops in the wild every year.
In nature there is a coppice flower, which also appears during the first thawed patches; it is very similar to a snowdrop, only blue. It is also called blue or blue snowdrop, but in fact they are completely different plants.
Care
This flower is grown both in open ground and at home in a pot. Of all bulbous plant It blooms very first and already produces buds in the middle of winter. To do this, the flower must be taken out of the room.
In a warm room, the plant may die. Because the flower is cold-loving, hardy and can withstand temperatures up to ten degrees cold. During the flowering period, the plant must be moved to a cool place.
After planting the bulb for 2 months, the plant is needed keep in a dark place. And then move it to natural light, but avoid direct sunlight.
The optimal temperature in the dark for a plant is zero degrees, and during flowering the maximum is 10 degrees above zero, otherwise the plant may die. When planting a bulb, the soil should be well moistened, and then not watered until the pot is moved to the light. Next, you will need to water the flower twice a week.
snowdrop flower
