Chionodoxa Lucilea - Glory of the Snow
Tulips, narcissi, hyacinths, snowdrops…. there are so many beautiful flower bulbs, and they all have their own charm and characteristics. In this blog series we would like to introduce you to a variety of them, helping you to make the best choices for your garden and grow the spring display of your dreams!
Pale Blue Powerhouse
Chionodoxa is a member of the Lily family, and native to Turkey. These pretty tiny plants will liven up your winter garden with their lovely pale blue star-shaped flowers. Glory of the snow is extremely easy going and a perfect accent in spring planters or containers, in rockeries, along paths or in the early perennial garden. Each bulb bears five to ten blooms on thick short brown stems, surrounded by deep green strappy leaves. Chionodoxa is deer and critter resistant and virtually disease and trouble free, making it one of spring’s most powerful flower bulbs.
Plant Passport
- Height
Chionodxa measures 5 inches in full bloom, a perfect size for planting in rock gardens or under bushes and trees.
- Fragrance
Glory of the Snow has no fragrance.
- Color
Chionodoxa is pale blue with a white center, bringing to mind the icy blue of glaciers, icebergs and mountain lakes.
- Bloom time
Glory of the Snow is an early bird, blooming in late winter to early spring, depending on your location.
- Longevity
Once Chionodoxa has established itself in your garden, it will come back year after year. It’s also a naturalizer, but it does need some TLC to get there. The main thing you can do to help these plants multiply is to leave them completely undisturbed: No raking or weeding and no raking of foliage in the fall.
- Different types
Chionodoxa has four siblings, of which Pink Giant is one. It is the same size as its blue brother but it has showy pinkish to lavender flowers that create a bright spring spectacle.
- Planting
Glory of the snow is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. In fall, pick a sunny spot to plant your bulbs. However, if you live in a warmer climate, it’s better to go for a place with moderate shade, as this flower will fade very quickly when exposed to too much direct sunlight. Make sure the soil is well-drained, and plant the bulbs 3 inches apart and 3 inches deep. You only need to water them if you know your spring will be dry. Even though the flowers will have finished blooming by mid to late spring, the bright foliage will stay alive until early fall. Don’t cut it back, as it is gathering solar energy to fuel next season’s growth.
- Forcing for indoor blooming
To force Chionodxa indoors over the winter, pot them up in mid-October. Find a well-draining pot, covering the drainage holes with broken crockery. Fill your pot with soil mix, and plant the bulbs closely together, but not touching. Make sure that the pointed ends are up and just sticking out of the soil, reaching the rim of the pot. Water thoroughly so the soil will settle around the bulbs. Precool the bulbs for 10-12 weeks by placing them in a dark space like a cellar, unheated garage or fridge, where temperatures stay between 38F and 45F. Check periodically to see if the soil is still moist enough.
When you see shoots 2 to 3 inches above the soil and fine white roots emerging from the drainage holes, it’s time to bring the pots out of cold storage. Move them to a cool location like an unheated hallway or a closed off room, where the temperature hovers around 55F and the bulbs can be placed in indirect light. Turn the pots every day to keep the stems straight and strong, and once foliage and buds are well developed, move the pot to a bright and sunny window in a room that is around 65F. Once the flowers begin to open, take the plants out of direct sunlight to prolong their blooming time.
- Container Planting
Glory of the snow is the ideal bulb for lasagna planting and will look great on top of narcissus.
- Pricing
If you’re just curious about Chionodoxa and want to give them a try, you can order 25 bulbs at $0.24 a bulb. But if you want to really see this Glory in all its glory, only a carpet of flowers will do. Luckily DutchGrown also sells large quantities at excellent prices, such as a thousand bulbs for $0.12 a bulb or even 10 thousand bulbs for only $0.09 a bulb.
- Combinations
Chionodoxa’s beautiful blue color provides a wonderful accent for yellow and white narcissi like Dutch Master or Ice Follies and small early-flowering red tulips like Showwinner.
Glory in your Garden
To get this beautiful ice queen gracing your garden next spring, simply hop on over to our website, and with just a few clicks of your mouse or taps on your screen, this baby blue bloom will be shipped from our Dutch family farm to your home, ready to be planted this fall.
