## Welcoming the spring

Snowdrop is a small genus of approximately 20 species of herbaceous plants. They have been known since ancient times and have been described by the Greek author Theophrastus, in the fourth century before current era. Their genus name, Galanthus, comes from ancient Greek and means milk flowers. The plants have two linear leaves and a single small white drooping bell-shaped flower with six petals. The smaller inner petals have green markings.

Snowdrops are one of the very first heralds of the upcoming spring - they bloom as early as February!