Winter Aconite

Eranthis hyemalis, the winter aconite, is a cheerful and vital early spring performer, challenging the snowdrops for the title of the earliest bloom. It produces brilliant, cup-shaped, golden-yellow flowers, often surrounded by a ruff of leafy bracts, appearing from January to March. These charming, low-growing plants form delightful carpets of colour at a time when little else is in bloom. Fully hardy, they thrive in partial shade under deciduous trees and shrubs, preferring moist, humus-rich soil but tolerating a range of conditions. They naturalise readily, creating ever-expanding drifts and providing a crucial early nectar source for emerging pollinators.

Sun: Partial shade.

Soil: Humus-rich, moist.

Hardiness: H6 — down to −20°C.

Flowering: Jan, Feb, Mar.