These delightful bulbs love our Southern climate.
Key Takeaways
Refreshing temperatures remind me that autumn is near.
What will Grumpy be doing?
Credit: Patrik Stedrak/Getty Images
Its botanical name,Leucojum aestivum, distinguishes it from the slightly earlier blooming spring snowflake,L.
It is also much more amenable to the mild winters we have in the South.
Unlike many spring bulbs, it blooms reliably as far south as central Florida.
Credit:Courtesy of White Flower Farm
Plant bulbs with the pointed end up and root side down.
The bulbs require little care after they are planted in the fall.
Water
Snowflakes need consistent moisture while growing and blooming in the late winter and spring.
Water if the soil dries out during the period your flowers are actively growing.
Once they go dormant in summer, snowflakes can tolerate moderately dry soil.
Consider adding compost or bulb fertilizer at the time of planting.
It is the only known cultivar of the plant.
Allow the foliage to continue growing until it withers away, at which point you could remove it.
Leaving the foliage to yellow allows it to provide nutrients to the soil.
Planting other perennials or ferns around your snowflakes can help to hide the dying foliage.
Clumps should be divided in early summer or fall about every five years.
Should you be the sharing sort, bestow extras on friends and family.
If you want toplant seeds, here’s how.
They grow best when planted in the ground where they are undisturbed.
Indoor temperatures are too warm.
Squirrels may eat the unopened flower buds, which can reduce the amount of blooms.
Snails and slugs may eat the leaves.
Remove them by hand or create a barrier of oyster shells around the base of the plant.
Like daffodils, snowflakes make an excellent cut flower.
By spring bulb standards, it stays in bloom a long timea couple of weeks.
If you notice dropping, drooping, or yellowing leaves, act fast and adjust the plant’s water.
Prune away any dead or damaged pieces.
Try moving the plant to a spot with well-draining soil and plenty of airflow.
Increase the amount of water and water when the top inch of soil is dry.
Keep the soil moist.
If you might’t find the bulbs locally, you might purchase them by mail.
Trusted sources include White Flower Farm, Brent & Becky’s Bulbs, and John Scheepers.
These long-lived perennials can last for many years.
The bulbs come back year after year and can be divided to provide continuous new plants for the garden.
Missouri Botanical Garden.Leucojum aestivum.
NC State Extension.Leucojum vernum.
NC State Extension.Leucojum aestivum.
PFAF Plant Database.Leucojum aestivumSummer Snowflake.
Plants for a Future.
Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder.Leucojumaestivum’Gravetye Giant'.
