Spring snowflake: when to plant the bulbs, where to put them and why not to pick it in the wild

In brief: Plant spring snowflake bulbs as soon as possible, from the end of August to October, 8–10 cm deep in moist, humus-rich soil in partial shade. It flowers in February and March. In the wild it is protected, so do not pick it or dig it up; buy bulbs from a nursery. The whole plant is poisonous.

Spring snowflake flowers when the garden is still brown and often even under snow. Unlike most bulbs it likes moisture and shade, so it fills places under trees and by a stream where tulips rot. In the garden it spreads by itself and after a few years forms dense clumps.

Spring snowflake has two peculiarities, however, that are good to know in advance. Its bulbs dry out quickly, so they are planted among the first bulbs, and in the Czech countryside it is protected. We discuss both below.

Spring snowflake or snowdrop?

Both flower early in spring and both are white, yet they can be told apart at first glance.

Nurseries also sell the summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum), often as the variety 'Gravetye Giant'. It is taller, 40–60 cm, carries several flowers on one stem and flowers only in April and May. It suits a pond edge and damp meadows. In the Czech countryside it is critically endangered, so the same applies to it: only from a nursery.

A protected plant: what you may and may not do

According to Annex II of Decree 395/1992 Coll., spring snowflake is a specially protected species in the threatened category. The Act on Nature and Landscape Protection (114/1992 Coll.) forbids picking, digging up, collecting and damaging specially protected plants. This applies even to "a few stems for a vase" and even outside nature reserves.

• You may: buy bulbs or plants grown in a nursery, grow them in your own garden, propagate them by dividing your own clumps and share them with neighbours.
• You may not: pick snowflakes in the woods and meadows, dig them up and move them to the garden, or collect seeds from the wild.

So buy from sellers who state nursery-grown origin. Cheap "woodland" clumps at a market are suspect.

When to plant: the sooner the better

Snowflake bulbs do not have a firm protective skin like tulips. In dryness and warmth they lose water, and once desiccated they will not sprout. So plant them immediately after purchase, ideally from the end of August to the end of September, at the latest in October. In the autumn planting calendar snowflakes, together with snowdrops and daffodils, come first; details are in the article autumn planting of bulbs.

If you have to postpone planting by a few days, store the bulbs in a bag with slightly moist sand or peat in a cool place. In spring you can also move plants "in the green", that is right after flowering with their leaves. This is the best way to divide your own clumps.

Position and soil

Spring snowflake grows naturally in floodplain woods and damp meadows. In the garden the following will suit it:

• partial shade under deciduous trees and shrubs, where it has light in spring and shade in summer,
• humus-rich, permanently moist soil, even places where water lingers in spring,
• the edge of a pond or stream, or the north side of a house.

In a dry sunny bed snowflake survives only briefly. If you have sandy soil, mix compost or leaf mould, which hold moisture, into the planting holes. You can find other plants that feel good in shade in the article which plants suit the shade.

Planting step by step

1. Inspect the bulbs. Discard soft, mouldy or completely shrivelled ones.
2. Loosen the soil to a depth of 20 cm and mix in compost.
3. Dig holes 8–10 cm deep, in light soil rather 10 cm.
4. Plant the bulbs tip upwards, in groups of 5–10, about 10 cm apart. In a group they look much better than singly.
5. Cover, firm and water thoroughly, even if it is raining. The bulbs need to take up water quickly.
6. Mark the spot with a stake so that you do not damage it when digging in spring.
7. Mulch the surface with leaves, which keep the moisture over winter.

Care and propagation

A planted snowflake needs almost nothing. In a dry spring water it, because it is precisely during and after flowering that it builds up reserves for the next year. Do not cut or mow the leaves until they turn yellow by themselves, usually in May. If the snowflake grows in a lawn, delay the first mowing, as we also advise in the section on naturalising in the overview of bulbs and tuberous plants.

After several years the clumps become dense and flower less. Then, after flowering while the leaves are still green, dig them up, divide them into smaller groups and replant at once. Feeding once a year as a layer of compost in autumn is enough.

Toxicity: children, dogs, cats

Spring snowflake belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family and, like the other plants of this family, contains poisonous alkaloids, for example lycorine. The whole plant is poisonous, most of all the bulb, which can be mistaken for a small onion or shallot. Poisoning shows as vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, in animals also drooling and lethargy.

Do not store the bulbs in the kitchen before planting and do not leave them lying about where a dog could find them. If a child tasted a bulb, consult the Toxicological Information Centre (224 919 293, 224 915 402); take an animal to the vet.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant spring snowflakes?

As early as possible in autumn, from the end of August to the end of September, at the latest in October. The bulbs dry out easily, so plant them immediately after purchase. Your own clumps can also be moved in spring after flowering with green leaves.

Is spring snowflake protected?

Yes. In the Czech Republic spring snowflake is specially protected as a threatened species, and summer snowflake even as critically endangered. In the wild it is forbidden to pick, dig up or collect them; you may grow them only from nursery-grown bulbs.

Can I move snowflakes from the woods to my garden?

No. Digging up a specially protected plant from the wild is a breach of the Act on Nature and Landscape Protection, even if it is just a few plants. Nursery-grown bulbs establish just as well.

Why do my snowflakes not flower?

Most often the bulbs were dried out, the position is too dry and sunny, or the leaves were mown last year before they turned yellow. Young plantings also sometimes send up only leaves in the first spring and flower only in the second year.

Are snowflakes poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes, the whole plant, most of all the bulb. After eating it, vomiting, diarrhoea and drooling appear. If you suspect it, contact a vet.

Recommended products

We currently do not have snowflake bulbs on offer. The following suit planting in shade:

• Bulb basket 16×16 cm – a group of snowflakes in a basket is protected from voles and easy to divide.
• Planting trowel – for holes 8–10 cm deep among tree roots, where a spade cannot be used.
• BIOPON compost accelerator 1 kg – faster leaf mould and compost, which snowflake needs in the planting holes and as an autumn mulch.
• Double garden daffodil, mix of 5 pcs – for a lighter edge of the bed; it follows on from the snowflake flowering and is planted at the same time.

Sources

• Decree No. 395/1992 Coll., Annex II: list of specially protected plant species
• Act No. 114/1992 Coll., on Nature and Landscape Protection
• Toxicological Information Centre, General University Hospital in Prague

Updated: 27 September 2026