Earliest elwesii

[Alan_b]

I bought a snowdrop at Anglesey Abbey that says it is an (unnamed) October-flowering form of Galanthus elwesii.  it is certainly an elwesii and it has finished flowering; time will tell if it does flower reliably in October.

Now "Peter Gatehouse" will sometimes flower right at the end of October, but usually I have to wait until November.  Also, "Remember Remember" manages to flower early in November.  Is there a named elwesii cultivar that flowers reliably in October?  And have autumn-flowering elwesii ever been observed in the wild or is this phenomenon only known in cultivated stock?

[mark smyth]

There is the one that I bought many years ago called 'Hiemalis' which is suppose is now just lumped with Hiemalis Group

[Maggi Young]

There is the one that I bought many years ago called 'Heimalis' which is suppose is now just lumped with Heimalis Group

 Mark, I believe the correct spelling is "hiemalis"   

[mark smyth]

I cant beieve how sloppy I've been recently. Roll on spring or do I dare to do some sun bathing today to recharge? Bright sunshine but 0C.

[Hans J]

Hi Alan ,

here in my garden has flowered in last year on 20 October :

G. elwesii "Barnes"
G.elwesii "Peter Gatehouse"
G. elwesii  unnamed

It is not only depending from the clone -it is more the climatic background

I know that wild populations of autumn flowering elwesii start in November ....but in dry and hot years later -it is depending when the rain comes

[mark smyth]

I bought an elwesii this year on Novemeber 15th that was about to go over. It must have been in flower in October.

[Alan_b]

Hi Alan ,

here in my garden has flowered in last year on 20 October :

G. elwesii "Barnes"
G.elwesii "Peter Gatehouse"
G. elwesii  unnamed

It is not only depending from the clone -it is more the climatic background

I know that wild populations of autumn flowering elwesii start in November ....but in dry and hot years later -it is depending when the rain comes

Thanks, Hans.  I have pictures of "Peter Gatehouse" in full flower and a few "Barnes" just coming into flower on 18th November 2008.  So it sounds as if your garden was about four weeks ahead of mine at the start of this snowdrop season.

I guess the other way to pose my question is, does anybody know of an elwesii that flowers earlier than "Peter Gatehouse" or "Barnes"?  I think "Remember Remember" may be a little earlier but it is named after the rhyme "Remember, remember the 5th of November..." because it flowers around the 5th November (I have seen it at Anglesey Abbey.