Galanthus ‘Magnet’

A true snowdrop classic and one of the great survivors of the early days of deliberate Galanthus breeding. ‘Magnet’ has large, well-balanced white flowers carried on unusually long, slender, arching pedicels, allowing the blooms to hang away from the foliage and bob gently in the slightest breeze. The inner segments carry a neat, inverted green V-shaped mark. The effect is wonderfully animated—this is a snowdrop that refuses to stand still. 

Origin: Raised by the celebrated Shepton Mallet galanthophile James Allen, the ‘Snowdrop King’, from a seedling in his garden in the late 19th century. Allen was one of the first British growers to deliberately hybridise snowdrops from seed, and ‘Magnet’ is one of his cultivars that has survived in cultivation. 

In the garden: Vigorous and dependable, ‘Magnet’ bulbs up readily and is particularly effective planted in groups beneath deciduous trees or shrubs. Its long pedicels make it an especially good snowdrop for viewing at close quarters—or from a passing breeze.

Height: 20–25cm
Spread: 15–25cm
Flowering: February–March
Hardiness: H5 (−15 to −10°C)
Aspect: Sun or partial shade
Soil: Moist, humus-rich, well drained