Snowdrops (galanthus nivalis)

Snowdrops are a spring flowering bulb whose latin name literally means “milk flower of the snow”. They tend to flower from January until March and can even flower through snow, making them the earliest flowering bulb in the UK.  Interestingly snowdrops didn’t used to be seen until mid February, but over the past fifty years, they have gradually started to flower earlier.

Snowdrop bulbs, like many bulbs, are poisonous, but they also contain galantamine which is sold as a drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss.

In folklore, snowdrops symbolise hope and purity. Hope because they are seen as heralding the beginning of growth for a new year; and purity due to their colour. There is however a superstition that single snowdrops should never be brought indoors as that will lead to death!