bulb

Snowdrop

Galanthus nivalis

Climate-suitable non-native

Growing guidance

Horticultural figures below are practitioner estimates for planning, pending expert review. The botanical record further down is sourced and verifiable.

Current-climate suitability

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Future-climate resilience

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Sun

Partial shade

Soil moisture

average, moisture-retentive

Heat tolerance

Up to about 32°C

Cold tolerance

Down to about -30°C

Waterlogging tolerance

3/5

Drought tolerance

2/5

Mature size

0.1–0.2 m tall, 0.1 m spread

Seasonal interest

Midwinter · White

Maintenance

low

Wildlife supported

General wildlife value 3/5 (verified species relationships are shown only where structured data exists)

Known risks or warnings

Bulbs toxic if eaten; plant in the green.

Toxicity: mild

Verified botanical record

Accepted scientific name: Galanthus nivalis L.
Family: Amaryllidaceae (Asparagales)
Rank and status: species · accepted
GBIF record: Taxon 2855356

Recorded as introduced in: Baltic States, Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region, Channel Is., Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, Flemish Region, France, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Great Britain and 25 further regions

Ranges are exactly as recorded in the GBIF source checklists and may be incomplete for widely cultivated species.

Galanthus nivalis, the snowdrop or common snowdrop, is the best-known and most widespread of the 20 species in its genus, Galanthus. Snowdrops are among the first bulbs to bloom in spring and can form impressive carpets of white in areas where they are native or have been naturalised. They should not be confused with the snowflakes, in the genera Leucojum and Acis.

Description from Wikipedia — Galanthus nivalis (CC BY-SA), shortened and unedited in substance.

Native status and geographic context

United Kingdom: climate-suitable
United States: climate-suitable
Australia: climate-suitable

Native status is never inferred from climate similarity. Plants restricted or invasive in a jurisdiction are excluded from recommendations there.

Wikimedia Commons contributor · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Where to buy

Real retailers serving UK. Garden Forward publishes no prices of its own — each link opens the retailer's own search results, where their current price and stock are shown.

Search Sarah Raven for Galanthus nivalis
Perennials, bulbs and seed, delivered across the UK.
Search Farmer Gracy for Galanthus nivalis
Bulbs and perennials shipped direct from Dutch growers.
Search Ashridge Nurseries for Galanthus nivalis
Bare-root trees, hedging and fruit in the dormant season.
Search Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants for Galanthus nivalis
Specialist hardy perennial nursery.
Search Marshalls Garden for Galanthus nivalis
Fruit, vegetable plants and seed.

No affiliate relationship is in place with these retailers, so nothing here earns Garden Forward a commission. Search links checked 2026-09-17. Availability of a species is never a reason it is recommended.

Companion palettes

Not currently in a sample palette.

Climate-resilient alternatives

Data sources

Taxonomy and native range: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Species description: Wikipedia — Galanthus nivalis
Photograph: Wikimedia Commons contributor · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Growing guidance: Practitioner horticultural estimates pending expert review

Botanical record checked 2026-09-17 · growing guidance last reviewed 2026-06-01 · confidence high

Demonstration data. Climate, plant and retailer records shown here are realistic samples awaiting horticultural validation and live data connections.