ES Views: Wild London: Bright and cheerful harbinger of spring

Snowdrops are one of the earliest of winter’s wildflowers, braving long nights and crisp air to grasp the first rays of spring sunshine.

They bring joy to seasonal gloom, their delicate, sugar-ice flowers nodding above clusters of spearmint-green, pointed leaves. In full bloom they look like gentle nodding lanterns of light, capable of blanketing a woodland floor with a carpet of snowy-white blooms.

The first records of wild snowdrops date back to the 1770s, but we know from early records that these dainty little plants were brightening London gardens as far back as 1597. They are now widely found throughout London in woodlands, churchyards, parks and along wild riverbanks, preferring a damp, lightly shaded location. Commercially grown bulbs also brighten many a garden.

Snowdrops bloom from mid-January to February’s end, their flowers attracting early pollinating insects, such as queen bumblebees, awoken from their hibernating slumber on warmer, sunnier days. Once pollinated, each of their tiny seeds comes with a special add-on package of fats and protein, which makes them irresistible to foraging ants. The ants carry the fallen seeds to their tunnels, for use as a food source, and some will germinate and successfully grow into new plants.

Cold winter conditions can drastically reduce the activity of bees and ants, but snowdrops have a trick up their sleeve — another way of reproducing. The plants grow from bulbs, which sit just below the soil’s surface. Each year these bulbs divide to produce small, baby bulbs. These clones generally end up growing close to their parents, forming characteristic clusters of plants.

Snowdrops can light up a brisk winter walk and are — for many of us — the first sign that spring is drawing closer. Their fresh green foliage and fragrant white flowers lift the spirits on even the darkest, coldest day.

London Wildlife Trust campaigns to protect the capital’s wildlife and wild spaces. Backed by Sir David Attenborough President Emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts.