Galanthus plicatus ‘Britten’s Kite’

A fascinating chance discovery made by Nicolas Top in a churchyard in Cologne, Germany, in 1993. Subsequently introduced into specialist cultivation, it is a particularly distinctive upright hybrid single, with the flowers held smartly above the foliage on slender, erect scapes. The flowers have a green ovary and unusually conspicuous yellow pedicel, the latter providing a subtle but rather delightful flash of colour beneath the white flower. The strongly upright habit gives the plant an almost architectural quality, while its relatively modest stature makes it an excellent choice for close observation in a collection. Recorded by Edulis as Galanthus plicatus ‘Britten’s Kite’, but described there as an upright hybrid single. Its precise parentage remains unresolved, although the plicatus influence is evident in the foliage and substantial flower. A good example of the treasures that can turn up in old European churchyards — and proof that the best snowdrop stories don’t always begin in a breeder’s seed bed. Flowering: January–February Height: c. 15-20 cm Spread: c. 10–15 cm, increasing into clumps Hardiness: H6, approximately −20 to −15°C Type: Upright hybrid single Found: Nicolas Top, churchyard, Cologne, Germany, 1993 Key features: Green ovary; yellow pedicel; strongly upright habit Parentage: Unresolved; formerly listed as G. plicatus ‘Britten’s Kite’ Introduction: From the 1993 Cologne churchyard discovery of Nicolas Top