Leucojum aestivum

Snowflake, Snowflake

Family: Amaryllidaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Snowflake is a naturalized perennial herb found in the Great Valley, southern California coastal areas, and occasionally in other regions, persisting in garden escapes and old homestead areas at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from December to June, this plant produces white flowers with distinctive green spots at the base of each perianth part, emerging in clusters of 2 to 5 blooms. Growing with stout, hollow stems 30 to 60 centimeters tall, it emerges from a bulb 25 to 45 millimeters in size. Its flowers feature white perianth parts with green spots below each thickened tip, creating a delicate and elegant appearance. The plant typically spreads through persistent populations in urban and garden settings, demonstrating its adaptability as a non-native species.

Habitat: Garden escape in urban areas, persisting at old homesteads

Bloom period: Dec-Jun

Elevation: < 500 m

Bioregions: GV, SCo, expected elsewhere

California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Sonoma, Butte, Santa Cruz, Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Santa Clara

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.