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The snowdrop is a woodland bulb, and is happiest in moist, lightly shaded situations. The bulbs grow in tight masses, and, where happy, will naturalize and spread over large areas, covering considerable ground. Several small colonies have been established under the quince trees in Bonnefont Cloister and will be left to spread undisturbed. The thick, tough tips of the leaves help the snowdrop to push up through the soil and snow, while protecting the flower heads. Maude Grieve compares the leaf tip to “a delicate nail on a green finger.”
The buds are held erect when the perce-neige emerges from the ground, but the open flowers will hang their heads downward.