Snowdrop message about the type of plant. Snowdrop message. Conditions for growing at home

Good afternoon, dear readers! In early spring, the white snowdrop flower is the first to emerge from under the snow.

Snowdrop galanthus is a genus of plants in the Amaryllis family. There are 17-18 known species growing in foothill and mountain forests and meadows. The most common is the snow-white snowdrop, the medicinal properties of which we will consider here, growing mainly in central Europe. In Russia, it grows in the lower, middle and alpine zones of the Ciscaucasia along the edges, among shrubs, flowers grow in vast glades in bright sunny places.

Flowers appear when there is still snow. From under the melted snow in March - April, the first spring flowers appear - wonderful gentle messengers of Spring, and they fade with the last snow. Fleeing from frost on a cold night, the plant has the ability to bend the peduncle and hide the flower under fluffy snow.

plant description

Snowdrop snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis is a perennial bulbous plant with a short growing season, 8 - 15 centimeters high with two linear, flat, dark green leaves. When at the beginning of spring the bud breaks through the snow, it is protected by two halves of the bract, tightly closed and pointed at the top. Freed from them, the bud, at first aimed at the sky, leans lower and lower towards the ground and takes on the appearance of being hung on a curved pedicel. He really becomes like a snow drop - snowdrop, as the British call this plant.

Arrow flower usually with one flower, they are bisexual with a six-part white perianth, consisting of 6 separate petals, 3 outer petals twice as large, flowering of each flower from 5 days to two weeks.

After flowering, fruits ripen - a fleshy greenish-yellow box with spherical black seeds with a juicy seed. For the sake of tasty seedlings, ants spread seeds through underground passages, promoting reproduction.

The ground part dies off after the seeds ripen, and the bulbs hibernate until the next year. With autumn rains, new roots grow from the bottom of the bulb, where nutrients are accumulated. Together with them, leaves and flowers slowly grow, almost reaching the surface of the earth. In this form, the plant hibernates in order to appear from under the snow to the surface with the first rays of the spring sun.

Medicinal properties application

The snow-white snowdrop is not used in folk medicine because of the danger of poisoning. The whole plant is used to obtain potent drugs, since the delicate beautiful flower is very poisonous and contains the alkaloids galantamine and nivalin, which used by official medicine in many severe conditions. Galantamine is used in the treatment of nervous diseases, paralysis, and the effects of polio. The alkaloid nivalin also helps to treat, in addition to the listed diseases, migraine and spasms of the vessels of the extremities. Galantine is also used for atony of the intestines and bladder.

Galantamine is included in the list of vital and essential drugs. Use ready-made pharmaceutical preparations

Galanthus is also grown as an ornamental early spring plant, cultivated since the 14th century. Plants bloom in the sixth - seventh year after sowing.

One of the ancient legends says that at the time when the first people were expelled from the blooming paradise, it was snowing on earth and Eve was very cold. To cheer her up and give her hope for better times, several openwork snowflakes sprouted, turning into delicate snowdrop flowers, which became a symbol of expectation of a brighter future.

The white snowdrop is listed in the Red Book

Every year, many flowers are plucked into bouquets and snowdrops gradually disappear, and in many places they have already disappeared completely, especially in the vicinity of cities - despite the fact that this plant must be protected so that it does not disappear completely and so that our children can admire them, our descendants.

Let's take care of our nature - it is beautiful, rich and very diverse, but not endless!

Watch the video for a good spring mood:

The symbol of hope is fragile...

If you ask someone to name the first spring flower, then the answer will undoubtedly be - a snowdrop. These cute miniature flowers on thawed snow cause delight and tenderness in everyone. Indeed, snowdrops are the first to open their inflorescences after a long cold winter on the lawns near the house or in the forest.

First, two green leaves are shown, and then drooping heads of white inflorescences appear. They are not afraid of snowy weather, frosts and night frosts of spring. Therefore, soon snowdrops become a true decoration of any site. In addition, this is a sure sign that soon the end of winter and spring is already on the threshold.

general description

The snowdrop honorably represents the Amaryllidaceae family, a genus of perennial herbaceous plants with almost 18 species. Most of all, flowers spread in the European region, the Crimean peninsula, the Caucasus and Asia Minor. In the photo you can see different types of snowdrops. However, almost 16 varieties of the flower can be found in the Caucasus. Snowdrop or galanthus comes from the Latin Galanthus.

Scientists still cannot agree on how many plant species exist. Sometimes they cannot even unanimously identify the found flower to any species that exists or has appeared.


But in nature, sometimes there are varieties of plants with a pair of elongated leaves about 10-20 cm and the simultaneous appearance of a peduncle. The shape of the flower is bell-shaped, the inflorescence drooping down, the flowers grow one by one. The white perianth has six leaves. Three of them are external, elliptical in shape, the remaining ones are internal, in the form of a wedge, at the peak of which there is a green spot, there may be a small notch.

The smell of a snowdrop is pleasant, but not strong and even rather very weak. The shape of the fruit resembles a rounded full box, which has three compartments for storing a small amount of black seeds.

A juicy appendage located on the seeds attracts ants, and they, in turn, pull them apart in all directions, expanding the halo of growth.

Flowers have a root system in the form of an ovoid or conical bulb. Outwardly, it resembles a compact collection of thick scales or deformed leaves, fixed on a thick bottom. Daughter bulbs grow from buds located in the axils of the scales.


To protect against damage, the upper scales serve, they are thinner, dry and dark in color. Due to the bulb, which is an accumulator of nutrients, the plant perfectly tolerates adverse climatic conditions, being at rest for about 9 months.

Absolutely all types of snowdrops are protected objects, moreover, their rarest species are in the stage of extinction, and it is possible to return life to these species only if they are grown in culture.

The name of the flower is of Greek origin, therefore it is translated as a milky flower, which most likely reflects the color of the inflorescence. People say that this name was given to him for his ability to grow in the snow and bloom with the first breath of spring, regardless of weather conditions.

There are many legends about these amazing delicate flowers. Take Adam and Eve, for example. When they were expelled from the Garden of Eden, the winter cold reigned around, and snow blew. Eve cried from the cold, remembering the lost warmth of paradise. In her consolation, God created some snowdrops from swarming snowflakes. This means that they are not only the first spring flowers, but also the first flowers on our planet.

Growing features

It is better to purchase and plant bulbs from July to September, at which time they are at rest. If the autumn is warm, then the planting can be moved until November.

You should not buy plants with blooming inflorescences, otherwise they will not survive after planting. In this case, the bulb will not die. Blooming in the near future will be sluggish or not bloom at all, but will be alive.

When buying dormant bulbs, pay attention to their condition. Choose bulbs of dense structure, weighty, with a whole shell, without processes of stems and rhizomes, with an intact bottom, without mold, dents and deformations. If the bulbs are soft, then they are already rotting.

It is not necessary to store the bulbs of the plant for a long time, they can dry out, as they cannot stand being in the air for more than a month. In the absence of the possibility of timely planting, you need to place them in a perforated bag with sawdust or shavings. Their shelf life in this form will be 2-3 months.


When planting snowdrops, loosen the soil and lower the bulbs into the ground by about 5 cm (at least). The flowers themselves will cope with the depth adjustment, since when the bulb is deep, they will release another one on the flower stem, thereby adjusting the size of the depth.

But it is not at all necessary to observe a certain depth value. The only nuance of the shallow deepening of the bulb is that in this case the bulbs themselves will be smaller, but “babies” will quickly appear.

Snowdrops love shady, but warm places lit by the sun and with excellent soil drainage. Hardy to low temperatures. The soil must be moist, loosened, nutritious and drained. A special watering regime is not required, with the exception of periods of drought.

snowdrop photo

The charming snow-white snowdrop is the first to please the eye with its truly winter severity and touching tenderness. Spring has not yet become a full-fledged mistress of its possessions and a white fluffy blanket covers the ground, and a small fragile flower is already fighting for a warm ray of sun. The legendary "Tears of Eve" remind us of Paradise Lost and fill our hearts with a vague sense of pristine beauty.

Growth area

Snowdrop, the Latin name of which is "galanthus", which means "milk flower", belongs to the Amaryllis family, which includes eighteen species and two natural hybrids. A perennial herb with a bulbous root, the snowdrop appears in early spring and lives for no more than four weeks. The height of the stem reaches thirty centimeters, different subspecies differ in the shape and size of the corolla.

Snowdrops grow in the forests of Central and Southern Europe, as well as in Turkey and the shores of the Caspian and Black Seas. Flowers prefer areas exposed to sunlight, although they can grow in shade. However, they do not tolerate places near swamps or springs with stagnant water. They are not demanding on the composition of the soil, they withstand sub-zero temperatures with firmness. With a lack of moisture, flowering slows down, so in an artificial environment, Galanthus needs additional watering.

The plant has an elegant white corolla with three long outer petals and three short inner ones. At the very edge of the petals there are barely noticeable green spots. On a low flexible stem there are several narrow dark green or grayish leaves. Only one flower grows from one bulb of small diameter.


Popular varieties

Of the twelve types of snowdrop growing in the post-Soviet space, the most common are:

  1. Snowdrop Elvis. A species with rather large rounded flowers that grows in Asia Minor. The height of the stem can reach twenty centimeters. The leaves have a pleasant bluish tint.
  2. Snowdrop snow. The flowering period is the second half of March, it grows in wooded areas throughout Europe. It has a small corolla with a cut compared to other types. The height of the stem is from ten to fifteen centimeters, the leaves are pale green with a grayish tint.
  3. Snowdrop white. The most common species, with more than fifty subspecies and the longest flowering period. On the inside, the fragrant corolla is decorated with yellow spots. The length of the stem is on average ten centimeters, the gray, keel-shaped leaves from below are covered with a wax coating.

Read also:

Amaranth (Schiritsa): Species, cultivation


Galanthus snow-white got its name in the first half of the 18th century from Karl Liney, the famous naturalist. In Europe, this type of snowdrop is also known as "snow earring", "snow-white bell", "snowflake". Regardless of the place of growth, it blooms equally bewitching - tightly compressed bracts effectively open as soon as the flower breaks out from under the snow.

Under the "red" protection

Being the first spring flower, the forest snowdrop suffers every year from the excessive manifestation of human love. Longing for the green charms of nature, people mercilessly pluck every single one of the specimens that come across, often not even leaving the bulbs. The "cleansing" of flowering islands reaches a special scale during the spring holidays.
Such a negligent attitude towards the plant world led to the fact that Galanthus quickly added to the list of endangered species. Now the flower is listed in the Red Book and is under state protection. Environmental legislation provides for liability for unauthorized actions that lead to the death of the snowdrop population.



The Red Book contains a detailed description of rare species of Galanthus, indicating the external structure and features of vegetative reproduction.

According to the provisions of the permanent Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, by the combined efforts of almost all countries of the world, active work is being carried out to restore the plant population and develop effective measures for its protection.

In the Red Book you can also find a description of the species and subspecies of the snowdrop, protected in a certain area. This may be a list of endangered plants of both a region and a particular country. The authorities may adopt resolutions of local and national importance. At the same time, it is possible to organize complex measures to save the population and expand the range of the plant.

Planting and reproduction

After flowering, the bulbs of Galanthus are underground at rest until autumn. And only by the second half of September they wake up in order to grow roots and bloom again in the spring. Visible growth and blooming of flowers lasts until the first foliage appears on the trees.
Snowdrop takes root well in loose soil with plenty of moisture. When planting in clay soil, a small amount of sand and organic fertilizer should be added. As soon as the galanthus begins to germinate, inorganic top dressings can be applied. It is not recommended to cut the leaves before they are completely dry.

Snowdrop is one of the most beautiful spring primroses. The first snowdrop flowers begin to sprout even under deep snowdrifts, hence its name. Incredibly, this delicate plant is not afraid of the frosty ground and boldly reaches for the sunlight. The appearance of this early flower symbolizes the long-awaited arrival of spring and the onset of warm days. We can say that the plant itself hurries spring to enter its possession as soon as possible.

However, strict measures to spread these primroses do not frighten dishonest people. Thirst for profit makes them pick the first spring flowers every year, despite all the prohibitions and fines.

In order for a bouquet of spring flowers to stand for only a few days in the house, people casually pick them, often damaging the bulb. It is nevertheless worth remembering that this plant is an endangered flower species. It should not be plucked and collected in the forest.

Growing in greenhouses

Still, you should not be upset that you cannot pick forest primroses. You can please yourself and your loved ones with flowers that are grown specially for the spring holidays in greenhouses. The owner of the greenhouse will definitely present a certificate that allows him to grow and sell the snowdrop flower without causing damage to nature.

For growing at home, the common snowdrop is most suitable. He will certainly please with his flowering after long gray winter days.

Galanthus (milk flower) - translated from Latin, means snowdrop. This species belongs to the Amaryllis family.

This plant is no more than 20 cm high, has a flat and oblong leaf shape of dark green color. The buds, most often white, begin to bloom in mid-spring, presumably in early April. The length of the inflorescence is not more than 4 cm. The flower is single, closed, resembles a drop. A fleshy box with oblong seeds and a juicy appendage is a fruit. The plant blooms for about 30 days. During its flowering, it plays the role of one of the very first honey plants, giving nectar to bees, for which it received its name.

In the world there are about 18 subspecies of this plant and more than 50 of its varieties. The most common habitat is: Central Russia, Crimea, Central and Southern Europe, the Caucasus, the western part of Asia Minor.

Snowdrop prefers to grow near trees, bushes, meadows. Grows well in moist and loose soil. Reproduction occurs with the help of seeds, as well as bulbs. Children are located in the scales of the mother bulb, which next year grow as an independent flower.

According to the chemical composition, the snowdrop is a poisonous plant. In stems and leaves it contains an alkaloid - galantamine, and in bulbs - navredin. Primrose, is dangerous to human health, causes a strong allergic reaction. Scientists are studying the use of poison to treat Alzheimer's disease.

This is a perennial plant. Bulb with a diameter of not more than 3 centimeters. Each of them produces only one pedicel, as well as 2-3 inner petals.

The snowdrop is listed in the Red Book and is under state protection. Due to its beauty and early flowering, the flower is massively plucked for sale during the spring holidays, which leads to the extinction of this species. The sale of forest primroses is prohibited according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, and violators face a fine and administrative punishment. Trade is allowed only for greenhouse-grown flowers, in the presence of certificates and accompanying documents.

Option 2

Snowdrop is the first spring flower of the Amaryllis species, a perennial flower with a bulbous rhizome. The bulb is round and not large, up to 3 cm in diameter.

Snowdrops are the first flowers to emerge from the snow in early spring. When the snow has not yet melted, when birds from warm lands have not yet arrived, when spring is just beginning to approach, snowdrops already give their beauty to others.

There are 19 species of snowdrop and 2 hybrids, of which several types of flowers are on the verge of extinction.

The leaves are poked out of the ground along with the flower. The leaves are oblong, dark green in color, as is the stem holding the flower. The flower looks like a white bell, it may have green blotches.
The snowdrop bush is usually not high, and can reach up to 10 cm.

The snowdrop blooms for a long time, if there is no rapid warming, then flowering can last up to a month, then the petals fall off the flower. After the loss of the petals, the seed box begins to ripen (the middle of the flower).

The box is round and, like the stem with leaves, has a dark green tint. There are three compartments with seeds in the box.

By the time the box begins to ripen, the sun has already warmed up and everything has begun to wake up. Beetles and various insects begin their movement towards the seed box, and thus begin to spread the seeds along their paths in the ground, giving the seeds strength to take root. By autumn, the seeds will already take root and begin to develop an onion.

Interesting facts about snowdrops

  • The snowdrop has its own day, on April 19, many countries of the world celebrate the "Day of the Snowdrop", the British approved this holiday back in 1984.
  • Snowdrop contains galanthamine, which helps treat Alzheimer's disease, but so far, scientists are only studying the effect.
  • Most of the flower species are listed in the Red Book, it is better to breed flowers than to look for flowers in the forest for a bouquet.
  • Some countries have associated superstition with snowdrops, due to the fact that snowdrops are the flowers of the dead.
  • But among the inhabitants of foggy Albion, snowdrops are a reliable amulet against evil spirits and evil spirits.
  • The snowdrop is also called the milk flower.

Flowers are bred in greenhouses, gardeners plant plots in gardens and they grow, bringing beauty with the first rays of the sun.

Snowdrops have been delighting with their beauty in different parts of the world for a long time.

Report 3

Snowdrop is the earliest flower. From the Greek galanthus, which means milky flowers.

Snowdrop from the genus of perennial flowers, the Amaryllis family. These are flowers from the bulbous order.

Snowdrops grow in sunny areas, but they also do well in a shady place. They do not like only damp places with stagnant water.

The classic galanthus bud is pure white with small green-yellow patches on the edge of the petals. The flower resembles the shape of a bell, the resulting structure and location of the petals: three petals in each row. Near the stem near the snowdrop there are 2 leaves 1 cm wide. The leaves are elongated, narrow and flat in shape, with a dark green or gray-green color. The bulb is round, about 3 cm in diameter. Each bulb produces 1 flower.

Currently, 18 species of snowdrops are known - galanthus, and 2 hybrids created by nature. Well-known and popular of them are 3 types:

  1. The snow-white snowdrop has more than 50 varieties. This species blooms the very first among the other varieties, but it also has the longest flowering period - about 1 month. The height of the snow-white snowdrop is from 7 to 12 cm. The flower buds are fragile, pure white with light yellow large patches on the petals. Snow-white galanthus spread a delicious aroma.
  2. Snowdrops are the most famous and popular for us. Flowering species begins in the second half of March. The height of the snowdrop is 10 - 15 cm. The buds differ from the rest in the cut of the petal. Bud size is medium, bell-shaped, pure white with a green mark on the front row of petals.
  3. Snowdrop Elwes. Places of distribution - forests of Asia Minor. Flowering begins early in March. The flowers are large in size, from 15 to 25 cm high. The buds are white, spherical in shape, large.

At first glance, snowdrops are unpretentious for a gardener, but as it turned out, snowdrops are very demanding on the ground. For the full flowering of the bulb, it needs a well-fertilized soil with peat and humus. A flower transplant should be carried out after the death of the leaves, approximately this falls on the month of July. During this period, the roots of the galanthus bulb have already died, and a new root system has not yet appeared. The bulb is planted in the ground with a depth of 6-8 cm. As a rule, snowdrops bloom well in a well-chosen place for many years and do not need to be replanted. You can also plant a snowdrop with seeds, but in this case, a fruiting bulb will form only in the third year.

Due to the love of people for these delicate flowers, the population is sharply declining every year. Poachers, for profit, pluck an unmeasured amount of snowdrops for sale. To protect this species, the snowdrop was listed in the Red Book.

Message about snowdrops

There are many different colors in the world. They can differ in color, shape, size, and even function. There is a flower that is considered a harbinger of the arrival of spring. Such plants are called snowdrops.

Snowdrops are nimble flowers.

Yes it is. They rush to bloom in early spring and give seeds, while the foliage on the trees has not yet developed and the entire forest is penetrated by the sun's rays. To do this, they are served by bulbs and tubers hidden in the ground, in which reserves of nutrients have been stored since autumn! Due to the fact that snowdrops live so quickly, seeing them is a very rare find.

A brief description of.

Galanthus is the second name for these flowers. At first they belonged to the Lileyny family, but now they belong to the Amaryllisovs. In Russia, there are 12 species. They can also be found in Central and Southern Europe, Asia Minor and the Caucasus, where they are most diverse (presence of 16 species).

Galanthus are perennial plants with a bulb, the diameter of which ranges from 2 to 3 centimeters. The bulb consists of scales and buds of renewal. Leaves appear together with buds, 2-3 pieces, usually linear. The color of the leaves varies from light green with yellow impurities to dark green. The base of the leaves is either wide or narrowed. Pedicel cylindrical, equal in length to bract, shining. The perianth is composed of 3 outer and 3 inner leaves. The snowdrop is pollinated by butterflies, beetles, flies and bees. The column is filamentous. The fruit is a fleshy box that opens along the alignments. Seeds in the form of a ball.

The use of snowdrops.

Mostly ornamental plants. Large quantities are planted on discounts or alpine slides. The alkaloid galanthamine, which is used in medicine, is also isolated from these flowers.

Curious facts about snowdrops.

  1. Several species are in the Red Book.
  2. People may confuse the snowdrop with the blueberry or the anemone.
  3. In Latin, snowdrop means "milky flower".
  4. Naturalist Henry Elwes collected galanthus in one collection.
  5. You will be fined for illegal collection and sale. A simple citizen will get off with 3 thousand rubles, and legal entities will have to pay 300 thousand rubles!

Option 5

This flower is known for the fact that, before other representatives of the flora, humanity pleases with friendly, small, graceful bells.

General characteristics of the snowdrop

The snowdrop belongs to the genus of the Amaryllis family. Its natural habitat is the climate of temperate latitudes: Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Europe. There are more than 20 species of galanthus (the second name of the milky flower).

Most of the subspecies of the snowdrop have no aroma, and only a few species have a subtle fragrant smell. They do not require special care, and are distinguished by excellent frost resistance. They prefer sunny areas, grow worse in shading, absolutely do not like places where fluid stagnation occurs. In one place they can grow for 4-5 years, then the flower should be transplanted.

The leaves of Galanthus make their way out of the ground along with the buds, have a green or bluish-green color, their width is up to 1 cm. The flowers of a natural snowdrop usually have a white color (if the flowers are painted in a different color, they are conditionally related to the blueberries). On the edges of the petals are green spots. 1 flower consists of 6 petals. 1 plant reproduces from 1 bulb. Snowdrops differ in height and shape of flowers.

The only drawback of snowdrops is their early wilting. After the galanthus has faded, its leaves remain green for some time, but dry out with the advent of heat.

3 most popular types of galanthus

In total, in nature there are 2 hybrids of natural selection and 18 species of snowdrop. Almost all of them are listed in the Red Book. The most popular of them are 3 groups:

  1. White snowdrop. Blooms before all representatives of its kind, flowering lasts almost a month. The height of this flower is from 7 to 12 cm, the flowers are white, inside it has a small yellow spot, it smells good. There are over 50 varieties.
  2. Snow Galanthus is the most common type. Begins to bloom in mid-March. It reaches a height of up to 15 cm. The flowers are medium in size, nature endowed them with a large cut.
  3. Elwes snowdrops are the largest. The height of the flower can reach 25 cm, while the width of the leaves reaches 2 cm. The flowers are spherical, voluminous, white in color.

The healing properties of the snowdrop

Primroses are not used in traditional medicine recipes, there is a great danger of poisoning. The appearance of the snowdrop is very deceptive, and the friendly spring handsome man is very toxic. The use of Galanthus without consulting a doctor can lead to nausea, dizziness, and slowing of the heartbeat. But this plant has found application in the production of potent medicines for the treatment of a number of diseases, such as:

  • cerebral palsy and poliomyelitis;
  • inflammatory disorders of the nervous system, polyneuritis, sciatica;
  • traumatic nerve injury.

Since 1984, many states have celebrated a spring holiday - Snowdrop Day. It was established in Great Britain, and since, due to the climatic conditions of this country, it blooms in the middle of spring, the celebration falls on April 19th.

  • Mexico - report report (grade 2, 7 Geography, the world around)

    Mexico (full name United Mexican States) is a large country in North America. Its territory is 1,972,550 square kilometers, including 6,000 square kilometers of islands.

  • Soccer ball - message report

    It is difficult to imagine a football match without the usual black and white ball. But before he became like that, he had to undergo many transformations. Previously, various round-shaped objects were used to play football.

  • Robert Koch contribution to biology and science

    Tuberculosis was discovered by Heinrich Koch. It is known that he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1905 for his research on tuberculosis. The future scientist knew how to read and write even before the onset of 5 years. In addition to him, 12 children grew up in the family.

  • History of Ancient China report, message

    For a long time, on a vast territory, between the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, there was a small country, which was around 1766 BC. was called the State of Shang-Yin.

  • Rose message report

    The rose is one of the most beautiful ornamental plants belonging to the rosehip genus. Today there are about 400 wild species. The family tree of the rose began, if you trust the research of archaeologists

Similar articles

2022 parki48.ru. We are building a frame house. Landscaping. Construction. Foundation.