While both beloved for their delicate, bell-shaped white flowers that appear in late winter or early spring, snowdrops (Galanthus) and snowflakes (Leucojum) are distinct genera. Telling them apart requires a closer look at their botanical characteristics.
The most reliable method for differentiation lies in the flower's anatomy. Snowdrop (Galanthus) flowers are comprised of six tepals. The three outer tepals are longer and purely white, while the three inner ones are shorter and feature a distinctive notch at their tip, almost always marked with a green (or sometimes yellow) V-shaped or U-shaped pattern. Snowflake (Leucojum) flowers also have six tepals, but all six are of uniform length and shape. Each tepal is identically sized and is tipped with a small, dot-like green (or occasionally yellow) mark on its apex, giving the flower a more symmetrical and uniform appearance. Furthermore, snowdrops typically bloom from late winter to very early spring, often pushing through the snow. Most common snowflakes (like Leucojum vernum) bloom concurrently or slightly later, while the summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum) blooms, as its name suggests, in late spring.
The leaves of these two plants also provide clear clues. Snowdrop leaves are narrow, linear, and glaucous, meaning they have a slightly greyish or blue-green hue. They emerge from the bulb often folded together and have a keeled (boat-shaped) cross-section. Snowflake leaves are broader, darker green, and more strap-shaped or glossy in appearance. They lack the pronounced glaucous coating and are generally more erect. In terms of growth, a single snowdrop flower scape will typically bear one pendulous flower, rarely two. In contrast, a snowflake scape is taller and commonly produces a small umbel of several flowers (usually 2-7), all nodding from the same point on the stalk.
Despite their visual similarity and common names, these plants belong to separate genera within the Amaryllidaceae family. This taxonomic separation is based on significant differences in their morphological traits, as described above, and genetic makeup. The genus Galanthus contains approximately 20 species of true snowdrops, all sharing the characteristic notched inner tepals. The genus Leucojum consists of fewer species, with the spring snowflake (L. vernum) and summer snowflake (L. aestivum) being the most widely cultivated, both identified by their equal tepals with apical dots.
