Galanthus nivalis - Snowdrop - (Liliaceae)

One of the very first of the spring flowers to appear in Britain is the snowdrop. It is spread throughout the UK except in the far north. Although mainly naturalised in the countryside having escaped from gardens it is possible Snowdrops are native to southern England.

Snowdrops

In very mild winters, the first flowers open in January, but February and March are the main times when you will see riverbanks and roadsides carpeted with Snowdrops. The reason why Snowdrops are so common along water courses is that the bulbils become detatched from the plants in high water and get carried downstream to colonise even more river banks once they settle.

The banks of the River Cych are carpeted in snowdrops in February

Snowdrops prefer shade, and so they rarely colonise meadows, preferring to cling to the edges of fields and damp woods.

The plants on this page were photographed in West Wales.