In my garden, the aim has always been to have flowers for as much of the year as possible. Snowdrops play a big part in that. In most years here in Manchester, I have snowdrops in flower before the first frost has finished off the dahlias. In practice, that means the garden rarely feels without flowers at all. One season flows straight into the next.

Some snowdrops are particularly good at doing this. They break dormancy early, respond quickly to mild spells, and appear well before the main snowdrop season begins. This page brings together the snowdrops that flower first, combining what is widely accepted with what I actually see growing here.

What counts as an early snowdrop?

Most snowdrops flower from January into February. Anything that consistently flowers before Christmas, or very early in January, is genuinely early.

It’s useful to think of early snowdrops in three broad groups:

• autumn-flowering species
• very early winter cultivars, often before Christmas
• early winter snowdrops that follow close behind in January

Weather always plays a part, but some snowdrops reliably lead the season.

The earliest snowdrop overall

Autumn-flowering snowdrops

The earliest snowdrops flower before winter has really arrived. These are not typical garden snowdrops, but they set the absolute benchmark for earliness.

Galanthus reginae-olgae is widely regarded as the earliest snowdrop species. In suitable conditions it flowers in autumn, often from October into November, sometimes before the leaves fully emerge. I don’t currently grow it myself, but it is well documented and consistently cited as the earliest Galanthus.

Classic early snowdrops (even if I don’t grow them)

There are a few snowdrops that are almost always mentioned when early flowering is discussed. Although I don’t currently grow all of these, they are widely accepted as being among the earliest winter-flowering cultivars.

• Galanthus plicatus ‘Three Ships’, often flowering around Christmas
• Galanthus elwesii ‘Potter’s Prelude’, frequently reported flowering from mid-November in mild gardens
• Galanthus elwesii ‘Barnes’, a quietly early elwesii selection, sometimes flowering before Christmas

Early snowdrops in my Manchester garden

What follows is based entirely on what I see growing here, rather than catalogue dates. All of these snowdrops are well established and grown either in pots or in free-draining positions.

Snowdrops that reliably flower by late December

Several cultivars in my garden consistently start flowering in late December, even in cold winters.

Galanthus ‘Fly Fishing’
This is one of the most reliable early snowdrops I grow and is often the first fully out. In my garden it always flowers by Christmas. Its long pedicel makes the movement of the flower particularly noticeable, even in still winter air.

Galanthus ‘Dryad Gold Sovereign’
This was the first yellow snowdrop I added to my collection, and it’s also one of the earliest. Here it typically begins flowering in late December. That combination of colour and timing makes it especially striking.

Galanthus ‘Faringdon Double’
Double snowdrops are often later than singles, which makes this one stand out. In my garden it regularly starts in late December, making it notably early for a double form. Faringdon Double often flowers so early in my garden, I often miss it and dont quite get the chance to photograph it in flower.

Snowdrops that follow closely in early January

A second group reliably comes into flower soon after the December snowdrops.

Galanthus ‘Golden Fleece’
This is consistently early here, usually flowering in early January. It bridges the gap neatly between the very earliest snowdrops and the main January displays.

Galanthus ‘Schobuce Irrucht’
Another early performer, typically flowering in early January in my garden. It’s vigorous and dependable, rather than flashy, which makes it a useful early snowdrop.

A note on weather and timing

Flowering times always shift with the weather. Mild autumns and early winters bring everything forward, while hard frosts can pause growth temporarily.

What matters more than exact dates is consistency. The snowdrops listed here are the ones that repeatedly appear first in my garden, year after year. Even when frost flattens the flowers overnight, many of these early cultivars recover quickly once temperatures rise.

Why early snowdrops are worth growing

Early snowdrops extend the season in a way later varieties can’t. They bring flowers into the garden when very little else is happening and help maintain continuity between seasons.

For me, the appeal isn’t just being first, but being reliable. The best early snowdrops are those that appear quietly, steadily, and without fuss, even in an ordinary northern garden.