From the forumists comments it appears that Galanthus nivalis does better in eastern North America, even spreading like mad, while G.elwesii is happier on the west coast. Perhaps we in Nova Scotia should focus more on G. nivalis.
johnw - where it snowed 5-7cm overnight, rained heavily, gale force winds and now facing a pile of slop that is due to freeze in a few hours.
John, far to the south of you, here in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA,
Galanthus elwesii and
G. nivalis both thrive.
Galanthus elwesii seeds prolifically.
Galanthus nivalis goes through the motions of forming seed, but the soft green capsules evidently don't contain viable seed.
Galanthus nivalis clumps thickly; the crowded bulbs soon get pushed to the surface, and in the summer when they are dormant get moved around by animals and perhaps water. I seem to have two forms of
Galanthus nivalis, and in the several decades they have grown here I've never noticed seedlings.
Each of these is presumably an old clonal nursery selection. One is shorter than the other with proportionately smaller flowers.
I have not noticed much if any difference in the vigor or longevity of the dozen or so other snowdrops I grow. The one very odd exception has been some bulbs of the old 'Ophelia' which took ten or fifteen years to settle down and bloom. Now they are dividing and blooming freely (although the flowers do not always open properly), and I have no idea why they took so long to settle down.
