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Snowdrops
Ritchard Freeman
Posts: 17
in Plants
Most other spring bulbs, that I've observed, either drop their petals, or they shrivle and turn brown. All I can see from the several clusters of snowdrops around my area,(Shropshire UK) is just seed heads, no petals around. remaining flowers half eaten. Curious?
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Happens to mine too - but only after having a good show from them for a few weeks - would love to know what, or who, causes it
Birds, especially pheasants sometimes eat snowdrop petals, there are no known bugs which eat the petals although Narcissus Flies do lay eggs on them, and their larvae do eat the bulbs.
As both of you live in country area's the pheasant may be the culprit.
mine are in full bloom no problems at all,grown amongst the grass dont know if this makes a difference
The ones I've seen are on rockeries and in grass land. The damage seems too subtle for pheasants?
It's not a worry. They flower well year after year (apparently)
Just wondering what is eating the flowers? Perhaps it pollinates them too?
My snowdrops always looked pecked after flowering too Ritchard and I assumed it was those cheeky sparrows again. Although semi rural here I have only ever seen a pheasant once in the garden so it's not them.
Seems more evenly chewed than roughly pecked? And only a few at a time. Near-by blooms un touched?
Other birds will also peck at snowdrops, and there are at present no known insects which eat the snowdrop, so if someone can set up a camera to film it, then maybe you can help identify the culprit.
I think the flowers just begin to look tired & begin decaying, I don't think they are being eaten.
our snowdrop petals are being eaten by something, never seen this before - any ideas?
The snails and slugs here have survived this winter, so far and they definitely eat Snowdrop petals. However, I think that under normal conditions, the petals desiccate very quickly down to a tiny brown wisp,which drops on to the soil and is hard to see.