glory of the snow ‘Blue Giant’
Glory of the snow (Chionodoxa forbesii ‘Blue Giant’) is among the first bulbs to bloom in the spring, with their vibrant blue poking up through the snow.
‘Chion’ comes from the Greek for snow and ‘doxa’ means glory. ‘Forbesii’ honors James Forbes a 19th-century botanist. He worked for much of his life as the horticulturist for Woburn Abbey in England.
This cultivar is larger and longer blooming than the straight species, providing a longer season of early nectar and pollen to our honeybees and other native bees. As soon as the sun comes out it seems there could not be enough of this flower to support the frenzy of pollinators.
These early spring bloomers naturalize readily if they are planted among drought-tolerant perennials with little supplemental watering. This dear resistant bulb thrives in zones 3-8 and grows 6-8″ tall. Glory of the Snow fades gracefully after blooming, disappearing among the emerging perennials and mid-spring bulbs.
| Botanical Name | Chionodoxa forbesii ‘Blue Giant’ |
| Common Name | glory of the snow ‘Blue Giant’ |
| Family | Asparagaceae |
| USDA Zone | 3 thru 8 |
| Light Requirement | Full Sun to Part Shade |
| Season(s) of interest | spring |
| Height and Spread | 0.5-1ft x 0.25-0.5ft (15-30cm x 7-15cm) |
| Flower Color | Blue, Purple |
| Attracts Wildlife | Attracts Pollinators, Rarely Browsed by Mammalian Herbivores |
| Additional Information | Not Native to the US Midwest. Horticultural origin. C. forbesii native to Turkey |
| Location in Lurie Garden | West Meadow, East Meadow |
Average Flowering Time
