DRYAD SNOW SERIES POCULIFORMS
DRYAD SNOW GROUP
DRYAD BLIZZARD
DRYAD BLIZZARD is the inaugural member of the brand new ‘Dryad Snow’ series of true poculiform snowdrops named for their exceptionally pristine bright white flowers.
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The Blizzard lineage started in 2008, when I was generously sent seeds of a poculiform G. elwesii from Canada. When they flowered in 2013, none were poculiform, which was unfortunate but not unexpected. The seedlings were inter-crossed to produce 6 seeds. These F2 seedlings began to flower in 2017 and to my delight, the result was one perfect poculiform.
After 5 years evaluation, this has proved to be a tall and graceful beauty, growing to 30cm under glass, the leaves only half that height at flowering time. The dazzling, large flowers are in perfect proportion at 40mm long including the ovary, and open into an elegant parasol shape. A clump in flower in your garden will make a glorious and breath-taking focal point.
DRYAD SNOWDRIFT
After a concentrated effort in breeding new poculiform snowdrops starting in 2014, I have finally begun to select the best of the 80 plus seedlings, after trialling, to join Dryad Blizzard in our Snow Group. These are DRYAD SNOWDRIFT and DRYAD ICEBERG.
DRYAD SNOWDRIFT
Bred from E A Bowles x The Bride, this is a plicatus x elwesii cross. The large flowers are almost globular, with deeply cupped segments, diverging sharply from the claw to give a ‘shouldered’ appearance. At 19cm high, they are held clear of the leaves at flowering time, and hang gracefully from the gently curved spathe. Perhaps its most remarkable feature is its unusually strong almond scent, like marzipan.
DESCRIPTION
Parents are E A Bowles x The Bride. Sown in 2014. Flowering height 19cm. The outer segments are 25 x 14mm, deeply cupped. The inner segments are 20 x 16 mm. The oval ovary is 8 x 6 mm, while the pedicel is 60% of length of the gently curved spathe. The short claw is 3mm long.
The supervolute leaves are 140 x 22 mm, hooded at their tip and are erect to arching. It is strongly almond-scented.
DRYAD ICEBERG
Bred from Dryad Blizzard x White Perfection, this is an elwesii cross. The flowers on this clone are probably the longest of all the seedlings. The outer segments are 37mm long, compared with Dryad Blizzard, already an imposing flower, at 30mm. At 27cm high, the flowers overtop the leaves at flowering time, opening widely in the sun to display the inner segments.
The outer segments flare smoothly from the very long claw, and are of heavy substance, attractively cupped. The inners are shorter, but similar in shape. The overall impression is of a very large, elegant flower, which will be difficult to ignore in the garden.
DESCRIPTION
Parents are Dryad Blizzard x White Perfection. Sown in 2017. Flowering height 27cm. The outer segments are 37 x 18 mm, and concave. The inner segments are 28 x 13 mm. The oval ovary is 9 x 6 mm, the pedicel is 80% of length of the arching spathe. The claw is 8mm long.
The supervolute leaves are 230 x 27 mm and are erect to arching. It is scented.
