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Snowflake
Leucojum
Snowflake blooms from March through April.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Snowflake
Plant it in part sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Expect it to reach about 12 in tall and 4 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Snowflake
Snowflake is a fall-planted bulb: get it in the ground 6 to 8 weeks before the ground freezes, typically September or October across zones 4 to 8. It pays you back the following March to April.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in September.
Comes in 3 varieties
Same plant, same care - pick the variety you are growing.
Good to know about Snowflake
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
All parts are poisonous if eaten, and the bulbs hold the most poison. Toxic to humans, dogs, cats and horses, causing vomiting and stomach pain. per NC State
Worth knowing
The same bitter alkaloids that poison people and pets are why deer, rabbits and voles leave it alone, making it a dependable deer-proof naturalizer. per NC State
Soil pH depends on species
Summer snowflake dislikes acidic soil and wants neutral to alkaline ground; spring snowflake takes acidic, neutral or alkaline. Match the advice to the species you plant. per NC State
Tell it from snowdrop
Snowflake has six equal white tepals, each tipped with a green spot. Snowdrop's inner tepals are shorter and its green marks sit only on those inner segments. per NC State
Summer vs spring type
Two species share the name. Summer snowflake is taller, blooms in mid to late spring and loves damp clay; spring snowflake is shorter and blooms earliest. per NC State
Naturalizes, can spread
It multiplies by offsets into long-lived colonies, so mass-plant it and leave it be. Summer snowflake spreads hard enough that NC State flags it invasive in Delaware. per NC State
Rots in year-round wet
Unusual for a bulb, it takes wet spring soil, but standing water into summer dormancy rots the bulbs. Keep it moist in growth, well-drained when dormant. per Clemson
What pairs well with Snowflake
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
False Indigo
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Bergenia
Shares part sun and moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; overlaps, then carries the display into late spring; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Foxglove
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; taller at 3.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Blue Oat Grass
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Autumn Fern
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Japanese Forest Grass
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Feather Reed Grass
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 4.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Rhododendron
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 5.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
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