Galanthus fosteri
Archive entry 10.02.19
16th February 2011
Discovered in 1899 in Amasia, Turkey, this was said to be one of the finest snowdrops in cultivation at the time.
During the next 40 years the species declined in cultivation until it was almost extinct. Then
a few plants were discovered in Lebanon where it is now known to be fairly widespread in the high mountains
(3,500 to 5,000ft), and it has also been re-introduced from Turkey. It's position in cultivation seems to be secure.
However, the later introductions are interesting but could hardly be called the "finest snowdrops in cultivation"
which suggests that there may be more impressive forms to find.
The first time I grew the species, I had a single bulb which prospered for a few years and the gradually faded away.
In 2005 I was sent a small pot of seedlings, and they are growing painfully slowly, so this spring
I bought a bulb from Broadleigh Gardens. This is the first time in many years that I have had a specimen flower
and the only time I have photographed it, so please excuse the rather poor picture, the plant was fading fast
by the time I got it home.
Hopefully it will be happy where I have planted it, and next year I can picture it in good condition.
7th February 2014
I haven't managed to make it happy but I haven't killed it either so that's progress of a sort.
3rd February 2021
In retrospect I think my bulb was probably attacked by Narcissus Fly. Whatever the reason for it's sudden decline, the recovery has been exceedingly slow.