Photo: Infozentrum Gutenberg-Raabklamm

Frühlingsknotenblumen

St. Ruprecht an der Raab, Styria

Enjoy a natural phenomenon at this special place, which is also called "Schneeglöckerlplatz" due to the name "Großes Schneeglöckerl" (Great Snowdrop) for the spring snowflake, as it is the largest occurrence of this flower in Styria. The moist and particularly nutrient-rich soil in the Mühlwald under the stream-side ash and alder forests is a special habitat and now offers a rare habitat for characteristic flora and fauna. The spring snowflake, also called March cup, March bell, or Great Snowdrop, colonizes moist deciduous forests, marsh meadows, or occasionally traditional orchards in larger populations. In terms of soil conditions, it needs loose, deep loamy or clay soils that must be nutrient-rich and consistently moist. The plant belongs to the daffodil family and has 6 white petals, each with a greenish-yellow or yellow spot at the tip. The bulb in the ground is about 2.5 cm thick. The spring snowflake blooms in the months of February to April. The various parts of the plant contain ingredients in the form of alkaloids – the plant is therefore poisonous.