Who isn’t cheered by the first sighting of a snowdrop? They are a sure sign that the long winter is coming to an end! A symbol of hope and a promise of warmer weather on its way. It is joyful to spot a snowdrop poking through frosty woodland soils, soon to be carpeting the ground with their nodding blooms.
Although the snowdrop is one of our most loved flowers, it wasn’t recorded as growing wild in the UK until the late 18th century. Despite this, it has now become naturalised, and carpets of snowdrops can be seen throughout the country.
Tougher than it looks
From the same plant family as the daffodil, snowdrops often grow in clumps, each single white flower on its own stem with narrow green leaves growing from the base.
But its delicate flowers and thin leaves belie the hardiness of the snowdrop. Known in France as pierce-neige – the snow piercer – the tips of their leaves are adapted to be hard enough to break through frozen ground. Their sap contains a natural form of antifreeze to prevent ice crystals from forming, meaning they can survive a harsh freeze with their cells undamaged.
Working together
Snowdrops generally spread via bulb division rather than through pollinators due to their season. However, if a hungry bee or other insect is woken by a spell of warm winter sunshine, snowdrops are one of the few sources of pollen and nectar that they will find.
If pollinated, snowdrops then receive help from ants in getting their seeds planted. Each snowdrop seed is surrounded by a small oil and protein-rich structure called an elaiosome, which makes great food for ant larvae. Ants carry the seeds to their nests and feed the elaiosome to their larvae, but discard the actual seeds, thus distributing them for the snowdrop.
Where to find them
Snowdrops like damp soil and can be found across the UK in broadleaved woodland and along riverbanks, and also under the shade of deciduous trees in parks, gardens and meadows.
Climate indicators
In the UK, the snowdrop plays an important role in helping to monitor climate change. The first flowering dates have been recorded for several decades now, giving valuable data on global warming. According to the Woodland Trust, for every 1°C warmer the average January temperature is, the date of snowdrops’ first flowering advances by three days.
In the 1950s, the common snowdrop would generally appear around the end of February, but since the 1990s, they tend to flower in January. Nowadays, an increasing number of December sightings are being recorded, and even the occasional November sighting.
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