Flowers are part of spring – but anyone who picks a particularly popular plant in nature runs the risk of receiving high fines. Find out here why this inconspicuous spring flower is strictly protected.
Snowdrops are among the first flowers of the year and make many people spontaneously want to take a small bouquet with them. This is exactly what is generally forbidden in the wild, and for good reason.
Why snowdrops are protected
Snowdrops are native to western Asia and southeastern Europe. There are no large-scale natural occurrences in Germany, but rather scattered, partially naturalized populations. The common or small snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) in particular is known to many people, but it is comparatively rare in the wild.
Snowdrops are ecologically important because they bloom very early in the year. They often thrive from January or February onwards, providing bumblebees, wild bees and other insects with their first food particles My beautiful garden writes. Their seeds also attract ants, which help spread the plants.
If flowers and bulbs are removed en masse from forests, park edges or roadsides, the populations quickly decline, meaning nature loses an important early source of food.
Picking snowdrops: there is a risk of a fine of up to 50,000 euros
In Germany, snowdrops are protected nationwide and have been classified as endangered in the Red List. Wild specimens must therefore not be picked and their bulbs must not be dug up. This applies regardless of whether there are just a few flowers or larger populations.
That is the legal basis Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG) in connection with the respective species protection and nature conservation regulations of the federal states. They regulate that protected plants in nature may neither be removed nor damaged. Anyone who violates this will have to deal with one fine calculate. The exact height depends on the country, typical ranges are loud Catalog of fines:
- in many federal states: from around 50 euros and up
- in Thuringia: around 75 to 10,000 euros
- in Hamburg: around 25 to 50,000 euros
The high upper limits are primarily intended for commercial or systematic withdrawals, but private individuals can also quickly find themselves in the zone where fines apply.
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Without a guilty conscience: snowdrops in your own garden
Fortunately, you don’t have to decimate wild stands to enjoy snowdrops in spring. Bulbs, seeds or pre-grown potted plants are available at nurseries, garden centers and hardware stores. These come from controlled culture and can be bought, planted and propagated without any problems, advises Mein Schöner Garten.
In addition to the well-known Galanthus nivalis, there are other species and varieties: The Turkish snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii) impresses with its larger flowers, the Voronov snowdrop (Galanthus woronowii) blooms from January to April, and autumn-flowering varieties such as the Queen Olga snowdrop (Galanthus reginae-olgae) open the season in October. This means you can significantly extend the flowering period in your own garden.
Snowdrops feel most at home under deciduous shrubs and trees, where light falls on the ground in spring and shade and moisture remain later. The soil should be loose, rich in humus and moderately moist; avoid waterlogging. Early-blooming species tolerate sunny to shady locations, while later-blooming species thrive in partial shade. To create a real sea of snowdrops, you plant groups, let them grow in and divide clumps after flowering.
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