In translation from Greek means milky-flowered, given for white coloring of the flowers. “Galanthus” representatives of sort are named for very early flowering occurring literally from under snow. Englishmen name this flower : a snow drop or a snow ear ring, and Germans a snow hand bell.

Grows at the Black Sea coast of Caucasus and Turkey. Galanthus is of medium-size. Differs by bright green brilliant leaves with the bent edges, but they are bent not downwards, as at a folded Galanthus, but upwards. Bulb is 3 sm. in diameter with golden scales. In the nature blossoms in the end of February-beginning of March. Leaves appear simultaneously with flowers. The flowers are 2,5 sm. in diameter and 2 sm. in length.

Galanthus grows under bed curtains of trees and bushes, in penumbra, but prefers open places. Galanthus is winter-hardy.

Galanthus breeds vegetatious, forming for the summer one-two bulbs.

Myth and Legend about Snowdrop

There are a lot of legends about Snowdrops. One of them says that when God has expelled Adam and Eve from Paradise, on the earth there was a winter and there was a snow. Eve has frozen and began to cry. She with grief recollected warm paradise gardens. To console her the God has transformed some snowflakes into the flowers of snowdrop. So snowdrops probably were the first flowers on the Earth. It isn’t known, when for the first time have started to grow up snowdrops. Most likely, they became one of the first garden plants that it is no wonder: the first flowers after sad cold winter inevitably draw attention, even if they small and soft.