Ornithogalum umbellatum
"Star of Bethlehem"
Orders placed before 1 September 2024
You can expect your order in August/September
Orders placed 1 September - 15 October 2024
You can expect your order in September/October
Orders placed 16 October - 15 December 2024
You can expect your order within 10 business days
UK orders over £50
Free shipping
UK orders under £50
£4.99
Northern Ireland orders under £50
£5.99
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Description
If you have a spot in the garden that you don't know what to do with, either in full sun or part shade, then the Star of Bethlehem, or Ornithogalum umbellatum, is just what you need. The smallest packet of bulbs will be sufficient to start you off, but the largest packet of bulbs will give you a gorgeous carpet of low-growing, grass-like leaves. They are greyish green, and generally fold back, flat to the soil. In mid- to late spring there are numerous white, starry flowers.
The backs of the petals are striped with pale grey-green. The flowers are arranged in loose heads, each bloom being held on a stalk, away from the stem; the stalks lowest down tend to be the longest, so the head is in a broad-based pyramid shape, wider than it is tall. Typically, between six and nine flowers are carried in each head.
Ornithogalum umbellatum looks wonderful when planted under deciduous trees and shrubs, or in large drifts on a sunny bank. Incidentally, the flowers have very precise habits, opening at 11 o'clock in the morning, and closing at 3 o'clock in the afternoon—time them! When open, they are loved by bees and other pollinators.
Key features
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Perfect for pots
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Comes back every year
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Thrives well in full sun
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Packed in paper bags
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Low maintenance
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Fully hardy
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Rodent resistant
Specs & details
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Botanical name
Ornithogalum umbellatum
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Flower colour
White
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Bulb size
6/+
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Established height
10-20cm
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Established spread
10-20cm
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Plant spacing
100 bulbs per m2
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Leaf colour
Green
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Habit
Upright
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Life cycle
Perennial, Naturalising
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Hardiness
Fully hardy
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Years to establish
1st year
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Sunlight
Full sun
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Position
Sheltered
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Suitable for
Borders
Coastal gardens
Cottage gardens
Gravel gardens
Large containers
Low maintenance gardens
Pots
Rockery -
Soil acidity
Any
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Soil moisture
Free draining
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Soil type
Loam
Loam-based compost
Multipurpose compost
Sandy -
Growing skill
Easy to grow
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Scented
No
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Pollinator-friendly
No
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Mouse resistant
Yes
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Rabbit resistant
No
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Deer resistant
No
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Toxicity
Skin/eyes irritant
Harmful if eaten
Plant calendar
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- Planting
- Flowering
Useful information
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Plant your Ornithogalum umbellatum bulbs from mid to late autumn;
Plant in borders or containers in sun or partial shade;
Plant your "Star of Bethlehem" bulbs two to three times as deep as the bulb is high;
Space the bulbs about twice the bulb diameter apart;
Place the Ornithogalum umbellatum bulbs with the pointed side facing upwards.
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Orders placed before 1 September 2024
You can expect your order in September 2024Orders placed 1 September - 15 October 2024
You can expect your order in October 2024Orders placed 16 October - 15 December 2024
You can expect your order within 10 business days
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