Download Summer Snowflake

Summer Snowflake
Leucojum aestivum
Summer Snowflake
Leucojum aestivum
Family: Amarylidaceae
Stem & Leaf Type: her baceous tunicate bulb
Culture & Landscape Value:
Size: 8” to 15” tall and wide
Despite what the name says, summer snowflake appears in spring!
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Grow plants in full to part sun and average to fertile, well-drained
Leaves: str ap-shaped 10” long. Resembles daffodil
soil. Plants like even moisture through the season. Plants do well
foliage
if mulched well in summer with compost to help keep plants moist
Leaf Color: dar k gr een
and cool throughout the summer. Plants take a little while to get
Fall Color: br ight yellow
established, but once they are, slowly and consistently spread by
Flowers: 1 or 2 white 1” long bell-shaped flowers
bulb offsets to create wonderful colonies and drifts of plants. Plant
that have a green spot at the tip of each tepal on erect
bulbs in autumn 2” to 3” deep, 4” to 6” apart. Plants can be dug
stems, spring.
and divided in early summer once foliage begins to die back, but if
Fruit: not significant
you can leave them alone, they are much happier! This genus is
Light: full sun to par t-shade. Good for shade garden closely related to snowdrops (Galanthus) - with similar flowers.
since bloom is before
Snowdrops have tepals of uneven length, where as summer snowleaves emerge on
flake has six tepals of equal length.
deciduous trees
Notes: A r elated species, autumn snowflake (L. autumnale)
Moisture: moist,
is shorter at 4” to 6” tall and blooms in later summer, early fall.
well-drained.
Hardy to zone 5 and decidedly more difficult to grow in the averInsect/Disease
age garden than the more common L. aestivum.
Issues: None ser ious
Nativity: wester n
Europe, Middle East,
Months of Interest:
northern Africa.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
Location in the
Gardens:
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Parking Lot, near
Sep
April 2016
Oct
Nov
Dec