Scientific Name:
Ornithogalum
spp.
Pronunciation:
or-nih-THOG-uh-lum
Common Name:
star-of-Bethlehem
Family Name:
Asparagaceae
Plant Type:
Flowering cut plant, Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves basal (from a bulb), long linear to oblong-lanceolate, petiole slender, up to 30cm long; flowers star-shaped, in racemes (white species are most common but florists may also use the orange coloured O. dubium).
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Africa - southern, Europe, South Asia / India
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Cut flower or foliage, Floristry, Perennial border
Additional Info:
Google. Out of about 80 species, those shown may include
O. dubium (Zone 7),
O. nutans (Zone 6),
O. thyrsoides (Zone 9), and
O. umbellatum (Zone 4).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Parallel venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Shapes:
Linear, Obovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Truncate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
3
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Orange, Yellow
Flower Scent:
Fragrant
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun
Additional Info:
6 tepals
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Green, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant
Bark or Stem Colour:
n/a
Organ Modifications:
Bulbs
Propagation:
Seed, Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
