Photographs: Inishannon, Co. Cork

Summer Snowflake Leucojum aestivum Plúirín samhraidh Family: Amaryllidaceae Flowering April-June. Bulbous perennial. Native / introduced. Slender stalks with lax umbels of 2-6 bell-shaped flowers with a green spot near the tip of the tepals. The 2-winged flower stalks become vertical as the seeds ripen. A clump-forming plant with bright green, strap-like leaves. Height 30-60cm. Identified by Paul Green Leucojum aestivum subsp. aestivum is native only in counties Limerick, Clare and Wexford, L. aestivum subsp. pulchellum is introduced. Grows in damp meadows and on marshy ground.

Summer Snowflake, Leucojum aestivum, Plúirín samhraidh