Chionodoxa – Glory of The Snow

01.08.2023 - 14:54 / gardenerstips.co.uk / hortoris

Chionodoxa are beautiful, hardy spring flowering bulbs that are easy to grow. They grow 6inches tall from small bulbs and have pretty star-shaped flowers with long narrow leaves. (Also spelled Chinodoxa and common name Glory of the Snow). The blossom has a central line on each of 6 petals.

They do well in most garden soil. Plant 2-3″ deep. Chinodoxa are most effective when planted in clumps and allowed to naturalise. Suitable for rockeries and growing in pots. Flowers lasts for 3-4 weeks, after which both the flowers and the foliage die back.

Chinodoxa Lucilliae is widely available and flowers bright blue Chinodoxa Luciliae Alba is a clear white with star shaped flowers in March. Chinodoxa  Forbesii Pink Giant produces a wealth of pink flowers. Chinodoxa Forbesii is bright blue with a white centre.

Glory of the Snow ‘Transforming the landscape from white to blue, the delicate alpine Chionodoxa comes into flower as the snows melt in the mountains of Turkey, Crete and Cyprus, earning it the name Glory of the Snow. Thousands of deep blue, starry-flowered Chionodoxa siehei from western Turkey have been naturalised in the lawn close to White Peaks creating a blanket of spring colour. They emerge in the early months of the year, flower and then die back to survive the summer underground as dormant bulbs.’ Well worth hunting out if you visit Kew in early spring.

Species & Varieties Chionodoxa albescens (Pale Glory-of-the-snow) – Crete Chionodoxa cretica (Cretan Glory-of-the-snow) – Crete Chionodoxa forbesii (Forbes’ Glory-of-the-snow) – south-west Turkey Chionodoxa lochiae, synonym C. gigantea (Loch’s Glory-of-the-snow) – Cyprus Chionodoxa luciliae (Lucile’s Glory-of-the-snow) – west Turkey Chionodoxa nana (Dwarf