Galanthus ‘Moortown’

A superb large-flowered snowdrop from the snowdrop-rich garden of David Bromley at Moortown, Shropshire, and the plant from which its name derives. Originally passed to Bromley by E. B. Anderson as ‘Mighty Atom’, it was subsequently recognised as distinct and renamed ‘Moortown’. The flowers are exceptionally large, broad, bold and unusually white, with substantial outer segments and inner segments carrying a combination of pale and darker green markings. It is an excellent doer and, although flowering later than many cultivars, makes a particularly impressive display when established. Often placed within the ‘Mighty Atom’ group, it is a substantial, vigorous snowdrop with considerable presence. 

Flowering: February–March
Height: 20–25 cm
Spread: 15–20 cm
Hardiness: H5, approximately –15 to –20°C
Cultivation: Moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil in partial shade; particularly good beneath deciduous trees and shrubs.

‘Moortown’ vs ‘Moortown Mighty’

Despite the similar names and common origin in David Bromley’s garden, ‘Moortown’ and ‘Moortown Mighty’ are separate selections. ‘Moortown’ is the original large-flowered plant received by Bromley as the misidentified ‘Mighty Atom’. ‘Moortown Mighty’, discovered by Mark Brown in 2007, is a G. plicatus hybrid seedling from the same garden. ‘Moortown Mighty’ is generally the more spectacular of the two, with very large, curvaceous flowers, thick-textured outer segments that open widely and pronounced pleating in its blue-green foliage—clear evidence of its plicatus influence. 

In short: ‘Moortown’ is the original Bromley plant; ‘Moortown Mighty’ is a later plicatus-hybrid seedling from Bromley’s garden.