Galanthus rizehensis ‘Baytop’

A remarkable, rarely offered selection of the Rize Snowdrop, collected by Professor Turhan Baytop in 1976. Considerably larger and more robust than typical Galanthus rizehensis, it produces broad, short, somewhat glaucous leaves and stout flowering stems carrying substantial, rounded white flowers. The inner segments bear a strong inverted horseshoe or U-shaped green mark, with the tips characteristically flicked outwards. Mature bulbs commonly produce more than one flower, adding to its impressive performance. It has been described as a triploid and possibly of hybrid origin, although its precise parentage remains uncertain. A fascinating piece of Turkish Galanthus history and one of the most distinctive cultivated forms of the species.

• Hardy: H6 (-20 to -15°C)
• Height: 15–20cm; spread: 15–20cm
• Flowers: January–February
• Distribution: Galanthus rizehensis has a relatively restricted range around the eastern Black Sea, occurring from northeastern Türkiye eastwards into the western Caucasus. In Türkiye it is centred on the humid Black Sea mountains, particularly around Rize and Artvin, with its range extending into western Georgia and the North Caucasus. It is a plant of the exceptionally wet, mild Black Sea climate, growing in woodland and other moist habitats.