Leucojum vernum - Spring Snowflake

Leucojum vernum, also known as the Spring Snowflake, is a bulbous plant related to the Snowdrop, with an early flowering of small pure white corollas enhanced by a touch of green on the edge of the petals. This botanical species, unknown or forgotten, is protected in some parts of Europe. It displays its graceful silhouette and linear foliage in waterlogged areas without fearing the summer drought that will simply make it disappear underground. Here is a modest but wonderful plant that will naturalize in the slightly wild areas of the garden.

The Spring Snowflake, also known as Claudinette, belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family and is native to central Europe. It is found in fresh deciduous forests such as alder-ash forests, oak forests, and beech forests, near hedges and in meadows, growing in rich, cool to wet, neutral or alkaline soil. This plant forms an erect clump, reaching a height of 40cm (16in) when in flower, 15cm (6in) for the foliage, and can spread over a significant area. Flowering takes place in February-March, after that of the snowdrops. The white flower, quite large (2 to 2.5cm (1in)), has six petals with prominent veins, ending in a green obtuse tip. The anthers are orange. The foliage consists of long, slender, erect, shiny, deciduous green leaves. The leaves disappear no later than May. It survives the summer and part of the winter in the form of a bulb.

Leucojum vernum is a plant that thrives in moist to cool conditions, preferring a sunny or semi-shaded exposure. It goes well with coum cyclamen, hellebores, and wild arum in the undergrowth. It can also be acclimated in a cool rock garden with crocuses, violets, Danford iris, and Algerian iris. Once established, it multiplies rapidly through spontaneous sowing.

Its bulbs contain alkaloids used in medicine.