Snowdrops: planting “in the green”, dry bulbs and protection in the wild

In brief: Plant dry snowdrop bulbs immediately after buying, in September and at the latest in October, about 8 cm deep in moist, humus-rich soil in partial shade. Plants moved in spring "in the green", right after flowering, establish more reliably. The common snowdrop is protected in the Czech Republic; do not pick or dig it up in the wild.

Snowdrops are the first flowers of the year, and in the right place they form dense white carpets within a few years. They have a reputation, however, as a plant that "does not come up". The reason is simple: their bulbs have a thin skin and in a shop they dry out within a few weeks. Anyone who knows how to handle this has almost certain success.

In this article we explain why experienced gardeners prefer to plant snowdrops in spring rather than in autumn, how to rescue an autumn purchase and why snowdrops in the wild are watched over not only by Czech law but also by an international convention.

"In the green": why snowdrops are planted in spring

After flowering a snowdrop keeps its leaves for several more weeks and replenishes the reserves in the bulb. If you lift it at this time with a ball of soil and replant it at once elsewhere, it hardly notices that anything happened. It roots immediately and flowers next year. British gardeners call this "in the green", and the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) considers it the most reliable method of planting.

In practice this means buying potted snowdrops in March and April while they have green leaves, or taking a piece of a clump from a neighbour or from your own garden. Plant them to the same depth at which they grew; you recognise it by the pale part of the stem that was underground.

Dry bulbs in autumn: how to improve the odds

Dry bulbs in a bag are the cheapest and are everywhere in September. You can succeed with them, but you need to act quickly.

1. Buy as soon as the bulbs appear on sale, usually at the end of August and in September. October leftovers are often dried out.
2. Feel the bulbs. Firm and heavy ones are fine. Discard light, shrivelled or soft ones.
3. Plant the same day or within a few days. If that is not possible, store them in a bag with slightly moist sand or peat in the cool.
4. Mix compost or leaf mould into the hole. Snowdrops need soil that does not dry out in summer.
5. Plant the bulbs about 8 cm deep, tip upwards, in groups of 10–25 with a spacing of 5–10 cm.
6. Cover, press down and water at once, even if it is raining. The bulbs need to take up water quickly.
7. Mulch the spot with leaves and mark it with a stake.

Count on the fact that from autumn bulbs not all will come up in the first spring and some will send up only leaves. In the second year the result is usually better. In the autumn planting calendar put snowdrops right at the beginning, before daffodils and tulips, as the article autumn planting of bulbs advises.

A spot under a tree

In the wild the snowdrop grows in deciduous woods and damp meadows. In the garden the place under a deciduous tree or shrub suits it best. In winter and spring, when it flowers and grows, it has light there, and in summer the shade protects it from drying out.

• Soil humus-rich, loose and permanently slightly moist, not waterlogged.
• In autumn leave a layer of leaves lying under trees; they rot down to humus, which snowdrops like. How to deal with leaves is described in the article November leaves, not just for the compost.
• In a dry, hot sunny bed snowdrops do not thrive and gradually disappear.

Other plants that can be combined with snowdrops in shade can be found in the article which plants suit the shade.

Dividing clumps

Well-established snowdrops spread by themselves by offset bulbs and by seed, which ants carry around. After 3–5 years the clumps are often so dense that they flower less. Then divide them:

• Lift the clump after flowering, when the leaves begin to yellow, with a large ball of soil.
• Divide it by hand into smaller groups of 3–5 bulbs, tearing the roots as little as possible.
• Replant the groups at once to the same depth and water.

Do not cut or mow the leaves until then. If snowdrops grow in a lawn, delay the first mowing until the leaves turn yellow by themselves.

Protected in the wild, watched even in the shop

Under Annex II of Decree 395/1992 Coll., the common snowdrop is a specially protected species in the threatened category. The Act on Nature and Landscape Protection (114/1992 Coll.) forbids picking, digging up and other damage to specially protected plants. This applies even to a few flowers for a vase and to clumps "rescued" from a wood that is being felled. Only snowdrops from a nursery or from your own or a neighbour's garden belong in a garden.

The whole genus Galanthus is, moreover, in Annex II of the CITES convention, which monitors international trade in endangered species. Snowdrops are in fact the most traded bulb collected in the wild. From Turkey and Georgia, according to export quotas, millions of bulbs of Galanthus elwesii and Galanthus woronowii are exported every year. When buying, therefore, give preference to sellers who state nursery-grown origin.

In spring the snowdrop is confused with spring snowflake, which is also protected. A snowdrop has three long outer and three short inner petals, a snowflake six equal petals forming a bell.

Which snowdrops to grow

Collectors, who are called galanthophiles, distinguish hundreds of varieties by the green markings on the inner petals. For an ordinary garden, however, the common snowdrop, which spreads fastest by itself, is more than enough.

Is a snowdrop poisonous?

Yes. The snowdrop belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family and contains alkaloids, among them galantamine and lycorine. The whole plant is poisonous, most of all the bulb. Poisoning shows as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. In dogs and cats that dig up bulbs, drooling and lethargy are added. Do not leave bulbs lying about before planting, and wash your hands after work. If a child has eaten part of the plant, call the Toxicological Information Centre (224 919 293 or 224 915 402); take an animal to the vet.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant snowdrops?

Most reliably in spring "in the green", right after flowering with leaves. Dry bulbs in September, at the latest in October, and always immediately after purchase, as they dry out quickly.

Why did my snowdrops not come up?

Most often the bulbs were dried out from the shop. Other causes are a dry and hot sunny spot or planting too shallow. Next time try plants "in the green".

Is the snowdrop protected?

Yes. The common snowdrop is specially protected in the Czech Republic as a threatened species and it is forbidden to pick or dig it up in the wild. You may grow it only if it comes from a nursery or from a garden.

Can I grow snowdrops in a pot?

You can, but in the long run they do better in the garden. In a container they need a humus-rich substrate that does not dry out in summer, and a cool place. After flowering plant them outdoors.

Are snowdrops 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 poisoning, contact a vet.

Recommended products

We currently do not have snowdrop bulbs on offer. The following suit planting under trees:

• Bulb basket, 26 cm diameter, forest green – for one group of snowdrops; the clump is then easy to lift and divide.
• Planting trowel – for holes among tree roots, where a spade cannot be used.
• Double garden daffodil, mix of 5 pcs – for a lighter edge under a tree; it flowers once the snowdrops have finished.

Sources

• Decree No. 395/1992 Coll., Annex II: list of specially protected plant species
• Act No. 114/1992 Coll., on Nature and Landscape Protection
• Royal Horticultural Society: How to grow snowdrops
• Oryx (Cambridge University Press): trade in Voronov's snowdrop from CITES Appendix II
• Toxicological Information Centre, General University Hospital in Prague

Updated: 27 September 2026