Glory of the Snow
As a beekeeper, I feel it is my duty to provide healthy forage for my bees. I’ve had a passion for flowers and bees for as long as I can remember. I love that my two favorite things complement one another so beautifully. This week’s Feature Flower, ‘Glory of the Snow’ (Chionodoxa) was a much needed addition to our early spring bee forage.
‘Glory of the Snow’ is a whimsical spring blooming bulb that is very cold hardy, blooming as far north as USDA hardiness zone 3. These bulbs are planted 2-3 inches deep in mid to late fall, about one month before your last frost date. They make a beautiful addition to your lawn, due to their extremely early bloom time. They naturalize beautifully, so make sure you give them a permanent home! Wait six weeks after the flowers have bloomed to cut back/mow down the foliage. These plants need time to store up energy before going dormant.
Flower Color: blue, white & pink
Pollen color: bright yellow
Height: 5-6 inches tall
Bloom Time: March-April
Light: full/part sun
Hardiness: zone 3-9
March-April can be a very challenging time for our honeybees. As the temperatures rise, the bees are ready to begin foraging, yet the nectar and pollen sources are slim. Our maple and willow trees are extremely helpful, but I wanted more. Adding hundreds of ‘Glory of the Snow’ bulbs to our lawn provided much needed nectar and pollen for not only our honey bees, but our native pollinators.
Our motto is simple…
“Plant a Flower, Save a Bee”!
Bee Well, Roda
