Galanthus woronowii occurs as a native species in north-eastern Turkey and across the Caucasus region, extending into parts of Georgia and southern Russia. The species was named in 1935 by the Russian botanist A. S. Losina-Losinskaya in honour of the botanist and plant collector Georg Jurii Nikolaewitch Woronow (1874–1931). It was described from plants collected in southern Russia, near the town of Sochi on the eastern shores of the Black Sea.
In cultivation, G. woronowii is valued for its vivid green leaves and flowers, though it has long been confused with other green-leaved snowdrops in gardens and collections. Indeed, it is still occasionally sold by garden centres under the name G. ikariae – a considerably rarer species.
Although G. woronowii is not yet as widely grown as G. elwesii or G. nivalis, its popularity is increasing rapidly. It is also appearing more frequently as a garden escape or discard in many areas, as reflected in its distribution map. Somewhat surprisingly, it is now the snowdrop I encounter most often in the wild after the ubiquitous G. nivalis.
Identification
G. woronowii is a bulbous perennial with nodding white flowers in which the inner tepals bear a single green apical mark, distinguishing it from species with more extensive or multiple markings. The leaves are broad, glossy and bright green, emerging in a supervolute vernation – one leaf tightly wrapped around the other in bud and typically remaining clasped at the base as the plant develops.
Although similar in general appearance to G. ikariae and the much rarer G. platyphyllus, G. woronowii can usually be distinguished by its smaller, less extensive green markings on the inner tepals (an inverted V-shape rather than the “boxer shorts” marking of G. ikariae) and by its brighter green foliage. Careful observation of leaf texture and tepal shape can further aid in the separation of these species.
Notable Varieties
Thankfully, there are not too many forms of G. woronowii to contend with, although new cultivars and selections are beginning to appear for sale and may, in time, find their way across the garden fence. Two of the most popular currently are:
G. woronowii ‘Elizabeth Harrison’, the first yellow woronowii, notable for its bright yellow ovary
G. woronowii ‘Cider with Rosie’, which features a pale green horseshoe-shaped marking on the outer segments.
Confusion Species
Galanthus woronowii differs from G. ikariae in both its inner segment markings and leaf colour. In G. woronowii, the green mark on the inner segment is short and confined to the lower half of the segment, whereas in G. ikariae the mark is much larger, typically covering more than half the length of the segment. The leaves of G. woronowii are light to medium green and usually glossy or slightly shiny. By contrast, the leaves of G. ikariae are medium to dark green and generally matt.
