Near the end of July, their blue-green leaves began to push through the soil in tight clumps around the Rhododendron Dell, and by the middle of August their shining white nodding bells gleamed from several borders.
They are most effective en masse, naturalised under deciduous trees where they benefit from the shade and shelter but also receive ample light to encourage flowering.
Even though snowdrops are so well known, their subtleties may not be recognised by everyone.
Closer inspection of the individual flowers reveals two whorls of three petal-like tepals each.
The outer tepals are more convex and about twice the length of the inner ones, which are instead highlighted by distinctive green markings just above a notch at the end of each.
Snowdrops are tolerant of a wide range of soil types, from alkaline to acid and from free-draining to clay, but they will thrive best in heavier clay soils.
The flowers are longer lasting in cold weather, so hang on to cheer us through the end of a grim winter, but in warmer spells they are relatively fleeting.
See them en masse under the maples below the Azalea Garden.
> Flowers are faintly honey scented.
> Native to Europe - from Spain to eastern Europe.
> Grow 7-15cm tall. Hardy to -15degC.
> Divide immediately after flowering or propagate by ripe seed.
> They contain galantamine, which is useful in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
> In the Amaryllis family - Amaryllidaceae.
- Doug Thomson is curator of the Rhododendron Dell at Dunedin Botanic Garden.
