Galanthus ‘Lady Beatrice Stanley’

A wonderfully elegant double snowdrop, ‘Lady Beatrix Stanley’ has unusually narrow outer segments which open to reveal a tightly packed, almost crinoline-like rosette of inner segments, each delicately tipped with lime green. The flowers are relatively small but exceptionally well proportioned, and the plant is a notably vigorous clumper. A snowdrop of refinement rather than bluster—more Edwardian drawing room than garden centre gaudy. 

Origin: Long associated with Lady Beatrix Stanley (1877–1944), the enthusiastic galanthophile who grew a notable collection at Sibbertoft Manor, Northamptonshire, and was a friend of E. A. Bowles. The clone was distributed from the 1950s as Galanthus caucasicus double and was formally named ‘Lady Beatrix Stanley’ in 1981. Its exact original provenance is not certain, although it is very likely to have come from her garden. 

In the garden: Exceptionally good for naturalising, ‘Lady Beatrix Stanley’ is vigorous, persistent and capable of making substantial flowering clumps. It prefers humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil beneath deciduous trees or shrubs.

Height: 10–15cm
Spread: 15–25cm
Flowering: February–March
Hardiness: H5 (−15 to −10°C)
Aspect: Sun or partial shade
Soil: Moist, humus-rich, well drained