Galanthus plicatus ‘Three Ships’ AGM

snowdrops, ‘Three Ships’ was found by John Morley beneath an ancient cork oak at Henham Park, Suffolk, in 1984. Morley, of North Green Snowdrops, recognised its exceptional tendency to flower around Christmas and named it for the traditional carol ‘I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In’. 

The flowers are unusually large, rounded and full-bodied, with heavily textured white outer segments and flared inner segments carrying broad green markings at both base and apex. Its remarkably early flowering habit makes it one of the most sought-after snowdrops for the Christmas garden, and it received an RHS Award of Merit in 2008 and AGM in 2016. 

Cultivation: Grow in humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil in sun or light deciduous shade. Excellent beneath trees and shrubs or at the front of woodland plantings. Allow the foliage to die back naturally after flowering.

Flowering: December–January, often flowering by Christmas
Hardiness: H5, to approximately −15°C
Height: 15–20cm
Spread: 10–15cm