Chionodoxa is a bulbous genus in the Hyacinthaceae family sold under the common name Glory of the Snow. Species come from mountain habitats in Crete, Cyprus, and Turkey and are hardy and like cool summer temperatures as well. The Austrian botanist Speta considers that this genus should be included in Scilla even though he has divided what used to be Scilla into many new genera. This genus was once considered different from Scilla by having the perianth joined into a tube and the stamens having flattened filaments. There is much confusion about the names and the same plant can be found under different names.
Chionodoxa seeds about freely in many gardens and can become something of a nuisance, intruding itself into plantings where it is unwelcome. Fortunately, the bulbs are never very deep and are easily moved, even in flower. In my own garden, the stray chionodoxa seedlings have been rounded up and segregated in a bed adjacent to a parking area. When they are grouped like this, instead of being scattered throughout the garden, they make quite an impact when in flower. Photo by Rodger Whitlock
Chionodoxa luciliae syn. Scilla luciliae a free spreading early Spring small bulb. Know as Glory of the Snow. Native of Western Turkey near Izmir. It has 2 to 3 violet blue flowers in a loose raceme that are white at the base of the tepals and has white filaments. Flowers are upward facing, about 3.5 cm. wide.
Chionodoxa sardensis syn. Scilla sardensis has up to 22 bell to star-shaped flowers up to 2.5 cm wide in a loose one-sided raceme. It is purple-violet in bud, violet at opening, fading to violet blue with very little white in the center apart from the filaments. This photo from Arnold Trachtenberg is probably of this species from Western Turkey although it could also be a hybrid.
Return to the PBS wiki Photographs And Information page