Galanthus ‘Chantry Empress’

A particularly imposing and beautifully proportioned snowdrop from Wol and Sue Staines of Glen Chantry, Galanthus ‘Chantry Empress’ is one of those cultivars that clearly feels it deserves a little ceremony. A large, green-tipped snowdrop with an unusually elegant flower, its name is quite appropriate: the broad, flowing outer segments have been likened to the robes of an empress, and there is certainly no shortage of imperial attitude.

The flowers are large and striking, with substantial white outer segments carrying distinctive green colouring towards their tips. The segments can become exceptionally long on established plants, giving the flower an almost exaggerated elegance as they flare and curve away from the centre. The overall effect is less ‘dainty woodland flower’ and more ‘royal procession arriving rather late for tea’. The flowers are held gracefully above the foliage and, when well grown, make an impressive display for a single-flowered snowdrop.

‘Chantry Empress’ belongs to the growing group of distinctive cultivars associated with Glen Chantry, alongside names such as ‘Chantry Lady’, ‘Chantry Taffeta’ and ‘Chantry Green Twins’. It is now offered by specialist snowdrop growers internationally and is clearly regarded as a choice cultivar, although thankfully it has not yet demanded its own throne room.

A superb choice for the collector who likes their snowdrops substantial, elegant and just a little bit theatrical. Give it a good position and an established clump can produce flowers of considerable presence, with the green-tipped, flowing outer segments making it readily recognisable. It is particularly effective planted where the flowers can be viewed close-up, because this is a snowdrop that rewards inspection rather than being merely another white dot in February.

Cultivation: Grow in humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil in partial shade or beneath deciduous trees and shrubs. Avoid prolonged summer drought and permanently waterlogged conditions. Allow the foliage to die back naturally after flowering and divide congested clumps while dormant if flowering begins to deteriorate. Snowdrops are excellent for naturalising, although a cultivar this distinguished might reasonably expect to be planted somewhere with a little more dignity.

Flowering: January–February
Hardiness: H5, approximately −15 to −10°C
Height: 15–25cm
Spread: 10–15cm