ForestHarvest: non-timber forest products in Scotland

 PRODUCTS

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Description

Small herb with attractive white flowers in the late winter.

Habitat

Woodlands.

Uses

This species is purely used for ornamental purposes. It is harvested in woodlands (as bulbs) and sold to the horticultural trade. Also, some Scottish estates open their gates to visitors during the flowering season to let them admire the spectacle of snowdrop-filled woodlands.

Gathering

Snowdrop bulbs should only be gathered with permission from the landowner. Undersized specimens should be put back, and the land should be left for four or five years between successive harvests.

Image provided by William Milliken/RBGE