Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus Dionysus

Galanthus 'Dionysus' is a rare variety of snowdrop discovered in the 1970s. It is considered a collectible bulbous plant. It blooms in late winter or early spring, a little earlier than other double varieties. It is also slightly taller. It forms curious double corollas with slightly puffy white outer petals, revealing a white inner corolla variegated with dark green. Plant the bulbs in a moist rockery, in a clear understory, or at the edge of a border to admire it up close. It naturalises in the garden through vegetative propagation.

Galanthus nivalis is a bulbous herbaceous perennial plant of the Amaryllidaceae family, native to Europe. It heralds the arrival of spring. 'Dionysus' is an unusual form of this plant, almost a genetic aberration. In winter, it forms a lovely clump measuring 15 to 20cm (6 to 8in) in height, composed of fairly dark green ribbon-like leaves with a touch of grey. In February, it produces stems bearing oddly shaped flowers, either carried outwards from the clump or held upright towards the sky. They consist of a small rosette of central petals, maculated with a dark green heart-shaped spot, finely margined with white, enclosed in an outer crown composed of 3 large airy petals that are pure white. The floral parts are regularly arranged on this lightly scented little flower. The foliage yellows and then disappears in late spring. Double snowdrops do not produce seeds, but multiply with numerous bulblets.

'Dionysus' is one of the first flowers to appear in spring, along with Crocus chrysanthus, Christmas roses, and squills. It will thrive in a moist rockery, alongside creeping bugle, Anthyllis montana 'Rubra', and an easy-to-grow fern called Blechnum penna-marina. These plants will occupy the space left by the snowdrops once their foliage has dried up, without suffocating the bulbs. It is ideal for light woodland, preceding the blooming of hellebores and corydalis. In cool climates, it tolerates sunny exposures in border plantings. It also grows very well in pots.