Galanthus ‘Ballerina’

A particularly elegant double snowdrop, Galanthus ‘Ballerina’ was found by Phil Cornish in 1991 at Twigworth, Gloucestershire. A hybrid of Galanthus nivalis × G. elwesii, it is a relatively short-growing plant with narrow, grey-green foliage and beautifully formed, tightly packed double flowers. The numerous inner segments are gathered into a remarkably neat, rounded flower, giving the mature bloom the appearance of a tiny ballerina’s tutu — hence its perfectly appropriate name. 

The flowers open somewhat upright before becoming nodding with age, and the inner segments carry a small, dark green inverted V towards the tips, with paler green markings towards the base. A refined rather than flamboyant double, ‘Ballerina’ is particularly attractive when viewed close-up and is one of the more distinctive modern doubles. 

Cultivation: Best grown in humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil in partial shade. Allow the foliage to die back naturally after flowering. Hardy throughout the UK.

Height: 10–15cm
Spread: 10–15cm
Flowering: February–March
Parentage: G. nivalis × G. elwesii
Found: Phil Cornish, Twigworth, Gloucestershire, 1991

Cultivation: Best grown in humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil in partial shade. Allow the foliage to die back naturally after flowering. Hardy throughout the UK.