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Yellow snowdrops (1 Viewer)

level seven

Registered user
I posted this in the Flowers etc section but I know not a lot of people look there so I thought I'd repeat it here. I know many of you have wide natural history interests apart from birds.

Last Wednesday, on a beautiful spring-like morning, I joined a botanical group I'm a member of to look for snowdrops in north-east Northumberland. Led by a recently retired professor of botany at Newcastle University, we were particularly looking for yellow snowdrops.

These have white petals, but the ovary and petal markings are yellow rather than the usual green. Apparently such plants are all but unknown in the wild anywhere in the world apart from this area of Northumberland. Here they're found in a fairly constant ratio of about 1 plant in 500. The characteristic is inherited through the female line and also, unusually, not via the DNA.

Apart from the interest of these, we saw huge drifts of snowdrops in a couple of woods, many more than I've ever seen before in one place. I'll certainly be going back again next year.
 

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Now if I ever knew that I had forgotten Graham. I will note it for a future quiz question. ;-) Interesting info.

Xcellent pics of the woods.

Cheers
 
Interesting post Graham and lovely photos too! The Snowdrops look a real treat. Are they followed on later with Bluebells?
 
Hi Graham.
What stunning plants they are; and the woods look truly exquisite. Thanks for sharing your beautiful pics.

All the best.
Baz.
 
Pam_m said:
Interesting post Graham and lovely photos too! The Snowdrops look a real treat. Are they followed on later with Bluebells?
There were certainly lots of bluebells there ready to flower later Pam. I'll have to go back in May and see!
 
Hi Graham,

Such beautiful photos of really unique Snowdrops, thanks so much for enlightening us, much appreciated. I love the carpet shots, beautiful. Don't forget Bluebell time!

Sue.
 
Stunning pics Graham, and they show off just how beautiful our native woodland is. Those yellow snowdrops are wonderful ~ I never knew you could get such a thing.


Best wishes
 
level seven said:
There were certainly lots of bluebells there ready to flower later Pam. I'll have to go back in May and see!


I will look forward to seeing the bluebell photos Graham,they should be quite a sight.
 
I had no idea that there were yellow snowdrops. Thank you for sharing that information. Fabulous pics - just breathtaking. I'll look forward to the bluebells pics later.
 
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