Galanthus ‘Maidwell L’

A superb early Galanthus elwesii selected by Oliver Wyatt at Maidwell Hall, Northamptonshire, and one of the classic forms associated with the pioneering generation of British galanthophiles. Wyatt (1898–1973), a headmaster and keen plantsman, was an important early enthusiast of snowdrops; E.A. Bowles is credited with calling him a “galanthophile”, one of the earliest recorded uses of the term. 

‘Maidwell L’ is particularly handsome, making a strong clump of broad, blue-grey, glaucous leaves and large, elongated flowers. The inner segments carry a conspicuous, deep-green X-shaped mark. It is notably early, often beginning in early January, and can continue well into February. The name refers to Maidwell Hall, where Wyatt selected it; the “L” distinguishes it from his other Maidwell selection, ‘Maidwell C’. 

• Hardy: H6 (-20 to -15°C)
• Height: 20–25 cm
• Spread: 15–20 cm
• Flowers: January–February