It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of snowdrops. These delicate flowers, signaling the arrival of spring, have become an obsession of mine in recent years. So much so that I spend a lot of my free time exploring the Northumbrian countryside, looking for new varieties, and browsing the internet for more options to add to our tiny yarden – much to Matt’s annoyance!
Although February is winding down and the peak snowdrop season is almost over, there are still plenty to be found in different parts of my home county. In this week’s blog post, I’ll share some of the snowdrops I’ve spotted recently on jaunts around the county. Let’s start with a new discovery for me – a snowdrop I stumbled upon while walking through rough terrain in Monkseaton last week. With it’s pleated green leaves with a distinct glaucous central band, and after some research, it seems to be the Pleated Snowdrop (Galanthus plicatus), a species not often encountered in these parts, at least according maps held by the BSBI.
Also known as the Crimean Snowdrop, this species is indigeonous to Türkiye, Romania, and Crimea and is thought to have been brought to the UK by British soldiers fighting in the 1850s Crimean war. It is widely grown in gardens but far less common in a wild state than the plentiful Common Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis).
Rural Churchyards
Churchyards are great places to find snowdrops, as they’re often planted in large numbers and left to spread naturally. Some of the best spots I know locally are in churchyards, and they often have surprises in store. After a meeting with our wedding venue a couple of weeks ago, Matt and I visited two such sites in quick succession, specifically to look for a local specialty: yellow snowdrops, also known as Galanthus nivalis ‘Sandersii Group’.
These yellow snowdrops occur naturally, though not abundantly, within populations of Common Snowdrop in parts of Northumberland. They’re named after James Sanders, who first identified them at Chillingham. While they’re not as common nowadays due to enthusiasts collecting them, they can still be found if you know where to look.
During our visit, we managed to find a few isolated patches of them, alongside plenty of the double-flowered variant of Common Snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’. It was a successful trip!
Fast forward to last weekend, and once again, I found myself exploring another remarkable churchyard, this time as part of a course I’m leading for the Natural History Society of Northumbria. This site proved to be quite fascinating, yielding more of the exquisite Sandersii snowdrops along with two interesting snowdrop hybrids: Galanthus x hybridus, a cross between Pleated and Giant Snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii), and Galanthus x valentini, a hybrid of Common and Pleated Snowdrops.
Interestingly, despite our thorough search, we completely failed to find any pure Pleated Snowdrops in the entire cemetery. It left us pondering whether they had bred out of existence in this particular location. Nonetheless, we were treated to large patches of pure Greater Snowdrops, characterised by their broad, glaucous leaves and the variable green markings on their flowers.
Howick Hall Gardens
Howick Hall Gardens has become a go-to destination for my Sunday strolls. With its expansive grounds and rich history, it’s especially charming during “snowdrop season.” The dedicated Snowdrop Trail they offer is definitely worth checking out.
While the gardens may not feature a wide variety of snowdrop species, the sheer number of Common Snowdrops blanketing the woodland is quite remarkable. There are millions of them scattered throughout, creating a breathtaking sight.
Amidst this abundance, there are occasional surprises. We were delighted to stumble upon another variation of Galanthus nivalis ‘Sandersii Group,’ affectionately called the ‘Howick Snowdrop.’ Although slightly smaller than others I’ve seen, they were no less beautiful.
Of course, it wasn’t just snowdrops in flower at Howick and fabulous scones aside, we also enjoyed the sight of several crocus species, well naturalised at this point, our first Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) of the year and even
And there we have it, a hopefully not too tedious account of a wonderful few weeks spent hunting for these endearing little flowers. To finish on a high, I should say that another snowdrop species, the Green Snowdrop (Galanthus woronowii) is once again flowering in a handful of wilder spaces close to home in Newcastle. A favourite of mine, I am ashamed to admit that I completely forgot to take photos. Instead, you’ll need to make do with this one from 2022.
