Plants to look for in January — Snowdrops

The scientific name for the snowdrop is Galanthus nivalis. The first part of the name is from the Greek, "gala", which means milk, and "anthos" which means flower, while the second part, "nivalis", comes from the Latin for snow. Snowdrops are usually pollinated by early bees but because there aren’t many around during the winter, they rarely produce seeds and most plants are sterile. Where seeds are actually produced, they contain substances which attract ants which collect and transfer seed via their underground tunnels. However, most types of snowdrops spread by division of the underground bulb. Galanthamine is a substance isolated from snowdrops that can be used to improve sleep!