2015Feb261424987169IRG62

International Rock Gardener 

ISSN 2053-7557 

Number 62 The Scottish Rock Garden Club February 2015

---International Rock Gardener--- 

February 2015 

This is the time of year in the northern hemisphere when our thoughts are buoyed by 

the increasing evidence of spring flowers and many of these are “bulbs” in the widest 

sense. The passion and fashion for Galanthus continues unabated so we thought a 

report from landscape architect and galanthophile Hagen Engelmann, from Cottbus 

in Germany on some of his favourite snowdrops, which are not “just white” was 

appropriate. Christophe Ruby, from the Hof Botanical Garden, again in Germany, 

makes a plea in his article for more enthusiasm for a plant he considers to be too 

often overlooked for use in our gardens. Finally, Wim Boens, the Belgian plantsman 

so active for the VRV provides an update to his previous article on the Genus 

Eranthis. Yes, this is an issue of IRG heavy with “bulbs” – if you are feeling this to be an overload then 

we invite you to submit a piece on a plant that interests you! 

Cover picture: Galanthus ‘Grüne Weihnacht’ by Hagen Engelman. 

---World of Bulbs--- 

Opportunity of Choice Text and photos by Hagen Engelmann, kindly translated by Bettina 

Metcalve. 

A hundred years ago, it might have been rather difficult to come across a green snowdrop. However, 

identification was easy, as there was only one, Galanthus nivalis ‘Virescens’. 

It had been found in Austria and was initially cultivated in the Botanical Garden in Vienna. Prior to 1880, 

Max Leichtlin from Baden-Baden in Germany passed it on to Harpur-Crewe and James Allen in 

England. It held a unique position in Great Britain for almost a century; it remained scarce, and was out 

of reach for most collectors. This was due not only to the price but also its reluctance to propagate. 

[Ed.: Even today it is surprising to find only two suppliers listed for this plant in the RHS Plantfinder.] 

In the nineteen-sixties, another green Galanthus 

nivalis appeared on the scene. Back then it was given 

the name ‘Bacherwiese’. Fritz Kummert had 

discovered a single plant in the foothills of the Laitha 

Mountains in Austria. This snowdrop became hugely 

successful in British gardens and has recently been 

reintroduced to the continent under the name 

‘Greenish’. 

Ed.: left, the plant that was ‘Bacherwiese’ is now 

‘Greenish’ but it is still grown in Sweden, known by its 

Maucherbach connection! 

Photo by Owe Jaktlund 

G.‘Rosemary Burnham’ photo by Jane Rowlinson 

Just before the turn of the millennium, ‘Rosemary 

Burnham’, another green snowdrop appeared, this time a 

Galanthus elwesii. It had already been found in Canada 

in the nineteen-fifties, but it took some time before it was 

finally established in Europe. The advent of twin-scaling 

guaranteed successful propagation. 

www.srgc.net ISSN 2053-7557


It appeared to be a futile endeavour for the provincial German galanthophile to access green 

snowdrops. It was practically impossible to purchase them; it seemed a hopeless undertaking. 

If there was no way of getting a well-known green snowdrop, maybe one could come up with an 

alternative. Maybe it was about finding new ways of proceeding. 

Fortune favours the brave! Once one green snowdrop had been found, why shouldn’t others be found? 

We approached our search systematically, and tenaciously followed up all the information we could find 

on snowdrops in parks, gardens and graveyards without omitting the drifts of naturalized plants that we 

already knew about (in Germany there are virtually no natural occurrences). We found many, very 

beautiful nooks with snowdrops, as well as spruced-up gardens, overgrown parks, enchanted 

graveyards and dingy rubbish tips, all appearing in connection with human settlement. Not a single 

green snowdrop was found. Slowly we acquired an eye for the great variety of shapes of the tepals, for 

the form and colour of the ovary, for the length of the pedicel and the shape and colour intensity of the 

petal markings. In short, the many characteristics that can make a snowdrop flower so interesting. 

In 2008, luck was finally with us. In a miserable wilderness on the edge of a small village, in the midst of 

a dense patch of nettles, numerous green flowers were found, shimmering. We were overwhelmed with 

joy: ‘Grüner Splitter’ (Green Shard) was found. 

Galanthus ‘Grüner Splitter’ 



This is similar to the classical Galanthus nivalis ‘Virescens’. It does, however, divide readily, almost as a 

mirror breaks. Its name is an intentional double entendre in German, since “to split” means “to divide” in 

English and “Splitter” in German means “shard”. Another continental snowdrop had arrived, already 

finding numerous friends in the UK. 

Furthermore, if planted closely together with other green snowdrops, green seedlings occur 

occasionally. To assist that process, we planted all our green snowdrops from Bohemia in the same 

spot. Birds of a feather flock together. 

Anke Way, Uli Lessnow, John Finch and Hagen Engelmann, photo Paul Davies 

We are presently in the fortunate position to be able to select 

from among a variety of green seedlings. It is no longer 

sufficient to be simply green. We are benefiting from years of 

fine-tuning our observational skills to the intricate details of the 

flower. Matt Bishop, of the famous book “Snowdrops: A 

Monograph of Cultivated Galanthus”, encouraged us to a 

further important step, in terms of securing, safe-guarding and 

propagating the new selections. Based on his advice, we have 

started to do twin-scaling on single bulbs that are otherwise 

slow to propagate - so far with great success. 

Our newest addition (left) is our ‘Grüner Frühaufsteher’ 

(Green Early Bird). For two years, it had been our earliest and 

most vividly coloured snowdrop of the ‘Virescens’ group; its 

flowers being eagerly awaited. 



It takes three years for the twin-scales to flower, but we are enjoying the delicate leaves of the young 

plant in the meantime. We are happy to wait, in anticipation of a small bunch of uniform green flowers. 

G. ‘Grüner Frühaufsteher’ 

A few other snowdrops have overcome 

the first obstacle of the propagation 

process and have been passed on to 

other gardens for inspection. Here is a 

small selection: 

‘Schorbuser Blut’ (Schorbus Blood) 

(right) stands out because of its 

rounded plump flowers, a feature not 

previously represented in this group. 

The delicate marbling of the inner 

perianth is novel and possibly 

originates from its Bohemian genetic 

makeup. 

Hagen Engelmann 



In ‘Grüner Streifentropfen’ (Green 

Streaked Drop) (left) we succeeded in 

creating a very dainty snowdrop. The 

outer segment is striped, in the shape 

of a drawn-out drop, a real “snowdrop”. 

The stripes are true, and together with 

its drop-shape, help to distinguish it 

from all other green ones. 

‘Grüne Waldfee’ (Green Pixie) is a 

delicate creature of seemingly frail 

nature. Its colouring tends towards lime 

green and it lacks the bluish bloom that 

is so characteristic of Galanthus nivalis. 

The experienced galanthophile will 

enjoy this little sensitive creature with 

its tender green nuances. 

G. ‘Grüne Waldfee’ 



As I quickly scanned the 

garden on a sunny Saturday 

morning, I went straight past 

‘Hagen 

Hastdunichtgesehn’ 

(Hagen Overlooked) (left 

and below) on its first day of 

flowering. This was really 

quite a mistake. My more 

observant wife, Karla, found 

the little seedling and 

subsequently added my 

haste into its name, giving 

me a lesson for life. Be that 

as it may, it turned out to be 

a special snowdrop which 

will stand out in any 

collection from the crowd of 

‘Virescens’ types with its 

wide-open, hovering outer 

segments. 



‘Grüner Faun’ (Green Faun) (left) is our 

most cheeky snowdrop. The strong 

upright scape emerging from broad, 

healthy foliage will not be flattened, 

whatever the weather. The dark green 

inner segments are effectively set apart 

from the outer segments with their 

green, splashed right to the tips. 

It was pure luck that we were also 

fortunate with “yellow” snowdrops. Our 

starting point was a garden in which 

Galanthus plicatus, Galanthus nivalis, 

Galanthus gracilis and Galanthus elwesii 

had grown together for centuries. A 

friend gave me one of the snowdrops, in 

which the inner markings turned from 

green to yellow during the flowering 

period. We named some of the offspring 

because we considered them novelties 

in the world of snowdrops. 

‘Ilse Bilse’ (below) is the girl mentioned 

in a nursery rhyme, who nobody liked in 

the beginning as she was quite ordinary. 

Only in time will she reveal her assets 

and then become an overnight 

sensation. Drop-shaped flowers hover 

over slightly twisted Galanthus plicatus 

leaves. The markings of the inner 

perianth (basal and apical) change from 

light green to yellow. 



‘Schorbuser Irrlicht’ 

The name ‘Schorbuser Irrlicht’ (Schorbus Will-o'-the-Wisp) 

indicates that here we are dealing with a change of colour. It is the 

most graceful in this group, but with an intensive yellow, turning 

almost orange; a precious little thing. 

[ED.: A full Index for the IRG is available here ] 



‘Schorbuser Lampion’ (Schorbus Lantern) (above) can be distinguished without doubt by its large 

rounded flowers and orange-yellow markings which radiate out from the centre. 

As yet, all three are quite unique. In our experience, cultivation under glass interferes with the desired 

shade of yellow, a side effect also known to have an impact on classic yellow cultivars. 

The days have passed when the first special plant would suffice. Given the current tremendous choice 

of snowdrop varieties, our own standards have improved significantly. Merely being yellow or green is 

a thing of the past. By today’s standard, only the top varieties deserve a name and are thus likely to be 

accepted. We are committed to tackling the challenges we face on a daily basis, and so far we have 

had success. 

H.E. 

Some other snowdrops from Hagen’s collection: Below is ‘Grüne Pendelkugel’ (Green Pendulum) 

‘Grüne Pendelkugel’ has a most harmonious flower shape and most globular flower of a ‘Virescens’. 



Left: ‘Pausbacke’ (Chubby Cheeks) comes 

from the ‘Viridapice’ group, but has more 

substantial flowers. 

Below: ‘Federschwingen’ (Spring Swing) is 

an important cultivar 

'Wellenspiel' is the most unusual one and very aptly named, as it means playing of the waves. 

A pretty group of yellows: ‘Blonde Erika, ‘Schorbuser Irrlicht’, ‘Schorbuser Lampion’, ‘Ilse Bilse’ 



Left: ‘Grüne Weihnacht’ (Green Christmas) a Galanthus 

elwesii var. monostictus form, flowers at Christmas time 

and is the biggest of the winter flowering elwesii 

virescents. 

‘Sündhaft Grün’ (Sinfully Green) (below) is unusual with 

its soft green blotches. 

Left: ‘Till Sonnenschein’ (Till Sunshine) combines, in a 

moment, three different greens in the plant: green/blue 

leaves, intensive green apical marks and green/yellow 

outer blotches. 

Right: ‘Schmalhans im grünen’ (Little Hans in Green) 

petite flowers with an unusual spread of green in the 

flower 

Below: A very “lucky” flower! 



---Plant Portrait--- 

Veratrum (Melanthium) fimbriatum – the hidden champion 

Text and photos by Christoph Ruby 

Since 1995 I have grown a somewhat unknown and unpopular species of the Melanthiaceae-complex: 

Veratrum fimbriatum. 

To set the scene “Bulbs of North America” gives the following dismissive description of the plant, which 

contributes to the general ignorance: 

“Judging by its natural distribution, it may be less hardy than the other American species. This species 

is not attractive, though it is quite similar in appearance to the more common white-flowered veratrums”. 

This statement and the common prejudice, that plants whose leaves are beginning to wither during the 

flowering period, as it is with this species, do not deserve to be regarded as being of great value for 

gardeners and gardens, have obviously caused a lack of interest in this extraordinary beauty - a 

`headbanger`` to cite Henrik Zetterlund from Gothenburg Botanical Garden. This plant features delicate 

flowers late in the year and, most importantly, flowers reliably every year! Only the small Veratrum 

formosanum is as reliable in this latter aspect. Those who deal with Veratrum will know that their 

flowering is normally interrupted every second year and cannot be balanced by feeding. 

Veratrum fimbriatum 

grows within a narrow strip 

along northern coastal 

California – a home which 

suggests it might even be a 

plant for a cold 

greenhouse: temperatures 

are moderate and quite 

uniform around the year. It 

is adapted to a long 

growing season with nearly 

no frost. Here, in northeast 

Bavaria - one of the very 

coldest parts of Germany - 

we definitely do not have 

an ideal climate for this 

plant. So its success 

here illustrates its adaptive 

traits. 

The winter weather 

characteristics normally 

reveal cold temperatures, 

which often occur over long 

periods and sometimes drop down dramatically below zero. From time to time severe late frosts occur in 

spring. If one has overcome this, one may benefit from a significant dropping of night temperatures 

during summer (elevation: 500m); a factor which not only supports the health of alpines. Without any 

special protection this plant constantly grew outside here for 19 years without any problems other than 

the previously mentioned lower, bare, “black” frosts. Frosty periods below 4° Celsius may bite the 

leaves at a very early stage of development, a well-known problem with all Veratrum. A covering of a 

sheet of fleece or an overturned bucket may be very helpful here to overcome such sensitive periods. 



Melanthium fimbriatum stock plant 

From the Bavarian perspective the plant is bone hardy: our friends at the Botanic Garden of Gothenburg 

still doubt it, although others, who also tested it in Sweden, agree with us. Now it is the turn of others to 

contribute their experience on its winter hardiness. Hardiness of plants may of course depend on 

several reasons. 



Melanthium fimbriatum close-up 



Melanthium hybridum (like Paeonia hybrida a misleading naming for a true species): typical 

Melanthium tepals with two distinct non-marginal, parallel glands on either side of the midrib. 



The species is currently placed in the genus Veratrum, but resembles more closely the genus 

Melanthium. In all flowering parts it shows more details of the closely related genus: the fixing points of 

the filaments are quite apart from the ovary, not beside the base; the flowers are keeled and have two 

parallel glands on either side of the midrib. 

Additionally many years of trials of crosspollination with other Veratrum have been failing and fruitless. 

This fact also leads me to the assumption of a different genus. Crossings to, for example, Melanthium 

virginianum still have to be made with the hope of confirming our theory. 

Parnassia fimbriata, photo Mike Ireland 

Melanthium fimbriatum may be listed as a smaller member of 

the family, up to the size of 50cm to 70cm (in heavier clay soils 

only up to 40cm), which flowers regularly (!) from its third year 

on; its larger cousins of the genus Veratrum take up to 8 years 

for first flowering! This is a feature it shares with the well-known 

smaller Trilliums for example. The flower segments are deeply 

fringed (fimbriate): much more so than the well-known 

Parnassia fimbriata and very much more than with Veratrum 

insolitum. The regular blooming period starts around early to 

mid-August and ends around mid to the end of September. Over 

a period of at least 6 weeks, the plant continuously opens up the 

pure white flowers along the branched inflorescences - at a time 

in the season where we all are longing for flowers. Flower size 

varies from 2cm to 3cm in diameter (the graphical illustration 

shows the size in relation to other species). If only for this 

aspect, it may be stated, that the plant’s potential for gardens is 

heavily neglected or simply not realized. The only blemish on the 

plant, in that the leaves start withering of at the beginning of the flowering period (a feature of so many 

garden worthy veratrums), mainly occurs only at the tips. This should be acceptable compared to the 

many advantages of the plant. 

Veratrum insolitum, photo Keir Morse © 2008 from Calphotos 



Veratrum californicum subsp. californicum: flowers whitish to yellowish green with V-shaped, 

marginal glands at the base of the flower. 

Illustration: typical 

tepals, which 

correspond to natural 

size relations – far left 

above: Melanthium 

virginicum, far left 

bottom: Melanthium 

hybridum 

middle left: Veratrum 

californicum subsp. 

californicum, middle 

right: Veratrum 

insolitum with tepal 

margins irregularly 

and shallowly fringed 

right: Melanthium 

fimbriatum with typical 

glands and deeply 

fringed margins. 



As other members of the Veratreae demonstrate, a fertile, moist well-draining soil suits them best and 

lets them develop nice clumps over the years. All members of the Veratreae build up bulb-like buds 

during July/August, conserving energy for the next year’s growth. Dividing or planting may be best done 

after this, just at the end of flowering in late August to 

mid or end of September, when new roots are also 

developed. Care taken when splitting or growing in 

deep pots will allow a prolonged planting season. 

Propagation, of course, is faster when done by seed, 

which is set more or less regularly. The seeds are 

globose, wingless and from a fleshy, succulent 

substance. 

Seed-grown plants led me to some new aspects of the 

diversity of this marvellous plant: seedlings with a very 

late flowering time to the very end of October, plants 

which are much taller (up to 80cm), and plants with 

larger flowers appeared. 

I hope in future this plant will get the ranking it deserves: our heads are round to think 

and recognize in different directions! 

Floreat, Christoph Ruby, Curator Botanical Garden Hof, Germany 

ED.: In the June 2012 issue of IRG Christoph Ruby was upbeat in his report on the plants in 

Hof’s crevice garden. 

The Hof Garden opens to the public again after its winter closure on 1st April 2015. 

Right: Wim Boens with his friend Cathy Portier, photo by Lina Hesseling 

---Article update--- 

Eranthis Update – Wim Boens 

Since I wrote my article about Eranthis species and cultivars which 

appeared in IRG 49 (January 2014) some new forms have been named 

and some have been lost to cultivation. So I’ve added some up to date 

“news” and a short part about the diseases and pests from which 

Eranthis can suffer. 

Newly named forms: 

Eranthis 

hyemalis 

‘Barbara’ 

(Single Group/ 

Light Yellow) With 

pale yellow flowers 

this is a single, 

fertile cultivar, 

named for his wife, 

who spotted it, by 

Hans Joschko who 

took these photos. 



Eranthis hyemalis 

‘Schlyter’s Triumph’ 

(Single Group/Orange) 

With larger flowers than 

‘Schlyter’s Orange’, this 

is also a single, orangeyellow, 

fertile cultivar. It 

originated from Severin 

Schlyter’s garden and 

was named by Andreas 

Händel. 

Photos, Wim Boens. 

Eranthis hyemalis ‘Steffi’ (Double Group/Yellow) Photo, Joe Sharman. 

Yellow-flowered, this is the first completely double cultivar, where all the reproductive organs have been 

transformed into petals too. It was found and named by Joe Sharman in 2014. 



Eranthis hyemalis ‘Uckroer Frühlingssonne’ (Single Group/Light Yellow) Photo Hagen Engelmann. 

This cultivar has pale yellow, single flowers. It was named by Gerd Raschke after Uckro (a small village 

near Luckau, Germany, where the nursery of Johannes Raschke was situated) combined with the 

German for spring sun. 

Named forms lost to cultivation. 

E. hyemalis ‘Dr. Martina Bell’ (died out in the garden where it originated) 

E. hyemalis ‘Egon Treff’ (characteristics not stable) 

E. hyemalis ‘Ruth Treff’ (characteristics not stable) 

Pests and diseases 

Eranthis are generally easy plants and suffer from very few pests and diseases. The most frequent 

disease is Eranthis smut, Urocystis eranthidis. This fungal infection can be recognized initially by a 

thickening of the stems and leaves. These swellings then open up to reveal a black spongy mass from 

which spores are released. Although it can be treated by persistent use of a systemic fungicide, it is 

easier to dig the plants up and destroy them as soon as the first symptoms arise. Do not replant 

Eranthis in that part of the garden for at least ten years. If you really want to treat, advice is to use the 

fungicide Tebuconazole in the ratio 0.5 ml/ltr.; spraying 3 times, always waiting two weeks between. 

This should work both as a preventive and remedial treatment. 

Two other fungi might infect Eranthis. One is Leucotelium cerasi (syn. Puccinia cerasi), a cherry disease 

that uses Eranthis as an alternate host, and forms yellowish orange galls on the leaves. The other is 



Puccinia recondita, a wheat disease that uses Eranthis as an alternate host, and forms brownish yellow 

galls. These are not lethal and usually do not return year after year. One minor pest is flax tortrix moth, 

Cnephasia asseclana, which lays its eggs on the leaves. The larvae then mine channels and spin the 

leaves together to pupate. It is not usually a persistent problem. Other insects and slugs, snails and 

rodents usually leave Eranthis alone. 

W.B. 

Plant with evidence of Eranthis smut, Urocystis eranthidis, photo Wim Boens. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

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