Snow Glory

Glory-of-the-Snow is so called because in some climates it blooms so early that it punches its little bright blue six-petalled flowers right out of the snow. And there’s a government research laboratory that is trying to work out how such delicate flowers as the Snow Glory and the Snowdrop manage to force their way through snow and bloom, without becoming damaged or browned – the idea is that it may help find cures for burns or other scars. The real name of Snow Glor is Chiodonodoxa and it thrives in partial shade to partial sun or full sun, and copes with dry or most soils.

There is a claim that it can sometimes spread aggressively, but I don’t know of anywhere in the UK that is complaining about having been taken over by such a pretty plant! It is a native of western Turkey where it was first described in 1877 and imported into Europe very soon after.

There are arguments about where to put them; some people treat them like crocuses and plant them in a lawn, and they will do fine there as long as nobody walks on them, however they grow naturally under trees and that is perhaps where they look best and naturalise most easily.

There are several new varieties but if you really want something that is wonderful enough to flower through snow, it’s worth remembering that the original blue flower is, on average, in bloom a week or more before the new pink cultivar.

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