Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus Blewbury Tart - Double Snowdrop

Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus 'Blewbury Tart' is a rare variety of snowdrop, considered a collectible bulbous plant. Like others, it blooms in late winter or early spring, but forms curious double corollas with slightly bloated, white petals variegated with emerald green. It will find its place in a cool rockery, a light woodland, or in a border to be admired up close. Not producing seeds, it naturalises in the garden through vegetative propagation.

Galanthus nivalis is a bulbous herbaceous perennial plant in the amaryllidaceae family, native to Europe, heralding the arrival of spring. The variety 'nivalis pleniflorus 'Blewbury Tart' is an unusual form of this plant, almost a genetic aberration, saved from the garden of an English galanthophile. It forms a small tuft of 10 to 15 cm in height from winter, composed of ribbon-like, medium green leaves, from which in February-March stems bearing curiously shaped flowers emerge, carried either outward from the tuft or upright towards the sky. They are formed by a small rosette of emerald green central petals finely bordered in white, enclosed in an outer crown composed of 3 large white petals spotted on the reverse with the same green. The floral parts are regularly arranged. The foliage yellows, then disappears in late spring. Double snowdrops do not produce seeds, but numerous bulblets.

Galanthus nivalis 'Blewbury Tart' is one of the first flowers to appear in spring, along with crocus chrysanthus, Christmas roses, and squills. It will thrive in a cool rockery, in the company of creeping bugles, Anthyllis montana Rubra, and an easy-to-grow fern called Blechnum penna-marina; they will occupy the space without smothering the snowdrops once the foliage has disappeared. It is also a good plant for a light woodland that precedes the blooming of bleeding hearts and corydalis. In cool climates, it tolerates sunny exposures in borders. It also grows very well in pots.