Yellow snowdrops

As is often the case with galanthophiles, Jane’s enthusiasm for the genus was initially piqued by the beauty and rarity of a yellow snowdrop. These popular and covetable, if challenging, cultivars can be hesitant to grow, as their yellow colouring is the result of a lack of chlorophyll, the green pigment present in all plants that is responsible for absorbing light as part of photosynthesis.

Most frequently spotted on the flowers, the yellow markings can also occur on the leaves and to get the best out of a ‘yellow’, the bulbs should be grown outside (rather than in a greenhouse), in a location that enjoys a lot of winter sun. Theoretically, yellow aberrations can occur on any snowdrop and so, as stands to reason, they are most commonly found in the most prolific group, Galanthus nivalis. In Northumberland yellow snowdrops, known as ‘halfers', arise spontaneously and regularly in wild clumps. Favourites of Jane’s include:

1 Galanthus plicatus ‘Golden Fleece’

The first yellow, inverse poculiform (goblet-shaped) snowdrop that broke records in 2015 when a single bulb sold for an eye-watering £1,390. Bred over ten years by Joe Sharman of Monksilver Nursery. 15cm.

2 Galanthus gracilis ‘Ronald Mackenzie’

A beautiful yellow snowdrop with delicate inner markings. 16cm.

3 Galanthus x valentinei ‘Dryad Gold Ribbon’

A superb snowdrop with a rounded bloom and a large, yellow, inverted heart on the inner segments. Late flowering. 16cm.

*Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. † All snowdrops featured have a hardiness rating of RHS H5, USDA 4a-7b. .