Yellow Snowdrops

[Brian Ellis]

Funnily enough I have just had an email quoting Jorg on the German forum saying that this is a myth, yet Gunter Waldorf thought it a good idea.  Obviously as I said to Maggi it depends on soil conditions and presumably whether they are sandersii or plicate crosses.

[Leena]

presumably whether they are sandersii or plicate crosses.

Can you tell more about that? Does G.plicatus do better in acidic or alkaline soil?

In your list there is G.lagodechianus, is there a yellow form of it?

Two pictures
'Ray Cobb'
'Wendy's Gold'

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks for the pictures Leena.  G.plicatus is found in both deciduous and coniferous woodland and in many conditions where there is a lot of humus.  Amazingly we can grow it quite well in our garden yet an expert grower we know, who has given lots of talks on snowdrops, finds it difficult! 

I find this one of the intriguing things about growing snowdrops, there are some varieties that I simply cannot grow, no matter how I treat them and I know other people have said the same thing.

You might like to take a look at Tom Mitchell's excellent blog from last year, here is the plicatus page:

http://www.revolution-snowdrops.co.uk/galanthus-plicatus/

[Leena]

Thanks Brian.
With my short experience G.plicatus (I have 10 different ones, 3 nameless and 8 cultivars) grows well and multiplies here in my garden (I hope now that I wrote it, there won't be losses this spring  ), and I like it very much.

[johnw]

Thanks Brian.
With my short experience G.plicatus (I have 10 different ones, 3 nameless and 8 cultivars) grows well and multiplies here in my garden (I hope now that I wrote it, there won't be losses this spring  ), and I like it very much.

Leena  - It would be interesting to know which plicatus do well for you.  Do you grow Three' Ships' successfully? 


Some of the plicatus are cranky and/or slow here.


Also do you grow lagodechianus as well?  Here it multiplies like mad but has never flowered.  We got it as kemulariae from Don Armstrong who got it from Thelma Chapman and she likely got it from a prominent plantsman in the UK back in the late 70's.


john

[Rick Goodenough]

Brian,

I am just weighing in with a huge "Thank you"! So good to have an updated listing of yellows. Nice work. 

Rick

[Brian Ellis]

Brian,

I am just weighing in with a huge "Thank you"! So good to have an updated listing of yellows. Nice work. 

Rick

You are very welcome Rick, I was doing it for myself out of boredome interest and thought others might like to see what I came up with.  Hopefully as the season goes on Leena and Steve will be joined by others adding photos to show what they are like.

[Leena]

Galanthus  doing well in Finland

Leena  - It would be interesting to know which plicatus do well for you.  Do you grow Three' Ships' successfully? 
Some of the plicatus are cranky and/or slow here.
Also do you grow lagodechianus as well?  Here it multiplies like mad but has never flowered.  We got it as kemulariae from Don Armstrong who got it from Thelma Chapman and she likely got it from a prominent plantsman in the UK back in the late 70's.
john

I answer here though my answer isn't yellow. I couldn't think of a better thread, but Maggi can move this if it is better somewhere else.

I grow G.lagodechianus, it was bought from Estonia with origin from nature (but I can't remember now where). I planted one bulb in 2012 and this is how it looked last summer, so it multiplies well, and flowers, but not so well as many other snowdrops.

About G.plicatus: I planted my first plicatus in autum 2011, three bulbs of nameless G.plicatus from Augis bulbs. They grow in acid moist soil next to Rhododendrons and have multiplied so well that I have already divided them twice. The first picture is of the original place and the second from another bed where I planted it two years ago.
Then in summer 2013 I planted 'Bill Clark' (it has not multiplied!), 'Wendy's Gold', 'Diggory', 'Oreanda' and an unnamed late G.plicatus I got from Gail, which I like very much. In 2014 I planted 'Trymming' and 'Washfield Warham', and because all earlier ones seemed to do well, I bought an expensive one: 'E.A.Bowles'  . That year I also planted 'Gerard Parker', Copton Trym' and an unnamed G.plicatus from Bondarenko (of wild origin). They all flowered well last year, so last summer I planted again some more: 'Colossus', 'The Pearl' and 'Sophie North', which I'm looking forward to seeing in the spring.
So, actually I have longer experience only from few G.plicatus, (and I don't have 'Three Ships'), and it may be that I spoke too early, but we'll see in few more years.

Some more pictures: 'Diggory' one bulb planted in 2013 looked like this last summer.
G.plicatus from Gail, two bulbs in 2013 looked like this last summer.

 (Edit by maggi to add "title" to help search engine )

[Rick Goodenough]

You are very welcome Rick, I was doing it for myself out of boredome interest and thought others might like to see what I came up with.  Hopefully as the season goes on Leena and Steve will be joined by others adding photos to show what they are like.

  ...boredome interest ! I get it, but it will be a valuable tool for crazy collectors like myself who love to grow the yellows. Have a fine time tomorrow, Brian and all of you who are braving the elements at Myddleton. It will be well worth it when you find that "have to have" add to your collections. Go with sharp elbows and kind hearts! Rick

[annew]

Dryad Gold Sovereign yesterday, I'm determined to keep the slugs off most of my snowdrops and daffs this year.

[Josh Nelson]

Dryad Gold Sovereign yesterday, I'm determined to keep the slugs off most of my snowdrops and daffs this year.

lovely group Anne!

[Maggi Young]

Val Bourne on yellow drops - and others too :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/how-to-grow/hot-trail-elusive-gold-snowdrops/

[Brian Ellis]

Super photo Anne, pleased you put the link up Maggi as Val said today about it.

[Brian Ellis]

Just opened Monksilver sales list and found Peter Erskine's 'Monti Picentini' which Joe describes as the only yellow nivalis selection from Italy, added to list.

[Ding Dong]

Is 'Midas' on the list Brian?