Chionodoxa luciliae "Alba" is a perennial bulbous plant that belongs to the lily family. It is a very successful plant due to its early flowering period. Ephemeroid. In the wild, it thrives in the Mediterranean and Turkey. Its habitat is deciduous forests and mountain slopes. Appearance This is a low-growing plant with beautiful star-shaped flowers. You will definitely love it! It grows up to 12-20 cm tall. The flowers are solitary or in one-sided racemose inflorescences of 3-6 pieces. They appear in early spring, right after the snow melts. They are larger compared to their relatives (more than 2.5 cm in diameter) and have six petals. Their color is snow-white with a yellow eye in the center. The leaves are broadly lanceolate, medium-sized (7-12 cm long), and dark green. It emerges in early spring from an underground bulb simultaneously with the flower stalk. Clustered in basal rosettes of 2-3 pieces, it forms neat low-lying clumps. The aerial part of the plant dies back in June. Planting. Chionodoxa should be planted in sunny areas or light partial shade. If planted on a sunny hill, it will bloom earlier than others; in the shade, it will bloom later. It prefers fertile, well-drained, air-permeable, neutral soil (pH 7.0). Chionodoxa does not grow in acidic soils or waterlogged areas. When planting, it is recommended to add humus and leaf mold (ideally, soil from the forest) to the soil. In places where the probability of meltwater accumulation is high, drainage is mandatory. Plant the bulbs in the soil in late August - September. Planting depth is 5-8 cm, spacing between bulbs is 5 cm. Ideal places for Chionodoxa are alpine slides or rockeries. Care. In spring, during growth and flowering, the soil should always be moist. Overwatering is unacceptable. Early in spring, Chionodoxa should be fertilized with a complex mineral fertilizer or organic matter during flowering. Chionodoxa is a frost-resistant plant. It only needs cover during snowless frosty winters.