Ornithogalum
Asparagaceae
Star-of-Bethlehem
They have linear leaves growing from the base and a slim flower stalk to 45cm long. The star-shaped flowers have six petals and are usually white, and sometimes have green stripes.
Uses
Container plants, greenhouse plants, border plants.
Culture
They will grow in free-draining sandy soils enriched with organic matter. They need protection from the cold in cooler climates where they may need to be kept in a greenhouse over winter. Most prefer a sunny aspect.
Propagation
Offsets may be separated in the autumn. Alternatively, they may be grown from seeds in spring though these plants may take five years or more to produce flowers.
Cultivars
O. arabicum - to 45cm tall. There are up to 12 scented white flowers with black ovaries and yellow stamens on each stem.
O. candicans (syn. Galtonia candicans, Hyacinthus candicans: Summer Hyacinth) - to 1.3m tall. The narrow pointed leaves are slightly glaucous. The summer flower spikes have twelve or more flowers each to 4cm long which are white with green tips.
Plant Health
There are few pest or diseases of note although grey mould can sometimes be problematic.
More info
There are some 200 species of these plants from South Africa and southern Europe which include a couple of species formerly classified as Galtonia.