Wild Flowers Of Strathclyde Park
  
 

Snowdrop
Galanthus nivalis
of the Daffodil family
a perennial
10 -20 cm high
blooms January - March
likes woodland, scrubland, hedgerows
can be seen in the wooded area around the Visitor Centre




    
The two parts of the scientific name come from the Greek for "milk" and "flower". In medieval times they were known as "the fair maid of february" and were a symbol of purity , worn by young women during certain religious ceremonies, such as the Purification of St. Mary during February. Another folk-name is "snow piercer" which describes how the shoots of the plant often emerge from beneath coverings of snow.