8 things about Snowdrops that you might not know

8 things about Snowdrops:

1. The botanical name for the Snowdrop is Galanthus, this comes from the Greek "Gala" meaning milk and "Anthos" meaning flower.

2. The Snowdrop is part of the daffodil family.

3. Snowdrops should never be eaten, they are poisonous.

4. Snowdrops are highly scented on sunny days they have a honey like fragrance.

5. Snowdrops contain their own anti-freeze, during the First World War they were harvested to make anti-freeze for the tanks.

6. An active ingredient in the Snowdrop bulb, Galantamine, has been used in the early treatment of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.

7. The most expensive Snowdrop bulb sold too date was in 2012 when a single bulb of Galanthus woronwii "Elizabeth Harrison" sold for £725.

8. Snowdrops are flowering earlier in the year, in the 1950's they started to appear at the end of February but since the 1990's they have started to emerge as early as January.

We now have Snowdrops "in the green" for sale in the farm shop, they won't be around for long so come and buy some while you can.

The Orchard Tea Room & Farm Shop
Redmoor Lane
Wisbech
Cambs
PE14 0RN

Open daily 10-4