Galanthus ‘Baylham’

A serendipitous roadside discovery by Barry Carson Turner in 1998, found growing on a road verge and subsequently brought into cultivation. A double hybrid of Galanthus plicatus × G. nivalis, it combines the broader, more substantial character of plicatus with the familiar delicacy of nivalis.

The flowers are neatly double, with several tiers of white inner segments carrying strong green markings, giving the blooms a particularly fresh, well-defined appearance. There is something especially pleasing about its origin: this is not a carefully orchestrated breeding achievement but a chance seedling encountered in the roadside flora — a little piece of botanical good fortune waiting to be noticed.

‘Baylham’ makes a very good garden double, forming compact clumps and flowering around the heart of the snowdrop season. Grow in humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil, preferably in deciduous shade or dappled woodland conditions. Allow the foliage to mature naturally after flowering.

• Flowering: January–February
• Height: 12–15 cm
• Spread: 10–15 cm, increasing into clumps
• Hardiness: H6, approximately −20 to −15°C
• Type: Double hybrid
• Parentage: Galanthus plicatus × G. nivalis
• Found: Barry Carson Turner, roadside verge, 1998
• Introduction: From the 1998 roadside discovery of Barry Carson Turner
• Nomenclature: Galanthus ‘Baylham