Galanthus alpinus var. bortkewitschianus

In late winter, this irresistible little elf produces slightly chubby, 2/3-inch flowers on 5-inch scapes that tower above the just-emerging leaves. A thin green chevron marks the sinus of each inner flower segment. Once considered its own species, this rarity is confined in the wild to only a few acres in the foothills of the north-central Caucasus. It thrives in cultivation in cool, humus-rich, slightly acidic soil and partial shade. Montane/Modified continental; N Caucasus. Zone 5.