Practical
Plants

Ornithogalum umbellatum

Star Of Bethlehem

a member of the Ornithogalum genus in the family Liliaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Liliaceae
Height
0.3 m
Spread
0.15 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects, Self

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Skin contact with the bulb can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[16]. The bulb contains alkaloids and is poisonous[5][15]. Another report says that the bulb is poisonous to grazing animals[4].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Bulb - raw or cooked[5][13][12][14][4]. The bulbs can be dried and ground into a powder[7]. Whilst the bulbs are palatable and wholesome according to some reports[5][10][2], some caution is advised. See the notes above on toxicity. Flowers - baked in bread[4].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Root

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A homeopathic remedy is made from the bulbs[10]. It is useful in the treatment of certain forms of cancer[10]. The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'After effect of shock, mental or physical'[8]. It is also one of the five ingredients in the 'Rescue remedy'[8].

Product or use
Bach

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to the Mediterranean.
Habitat
Grassy places in eastern England[13][3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[6]. Sow the seed thinly and leave the seedlings undisturbed in the pots for their first dormancy, but apply liquid feed at intervals, especially in their second year of growth. Divide the bulbs at the end of their second year of growth, putting 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for one more year and them plant them out into their permanent positions whilst they are dormant. The seed can also be sown in a cold frame in early spring. Division of offsets in September/October[6]. The larger bulbs can be replanted immediately into their permanent positions. It is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on for a year before planting them out when dormant in late summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An easily grown plant, succeeding in an ordinary garden soil[1][11]. Tolerates partial shade[6]. Hardy to about -20°c[6]. The dormant bulbs are very hardy and will withstand soil temperatures down to at least -10°c[9]. A very ornamental plant[1], but it can be invasive where conditions suit it[6]. It can be naturalized in short turf or thin grass below shrubs[6], though this should not be mown from the time the bulbs start to grow until they have set seed and the leaves are dying down.

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

    ↩

  3. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩

  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  7. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

    ↩

  8. Chancellor. P. M. Handbook of the Bach Flower Remedies C. W. Daniel Co. Ltd. 1985-00-00 ISBN 85207 002 0

    ↩1↩2

  9. Matthews. V. The New Plantsman. Volume 1, 1994. Royal Horticultural Society 1994-00-00 ISBN 1352-4186

    ↩

  10. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938-00-00

    ↩

  12. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  13. Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219060-5

    ↩1↩2

  14. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  15. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

    ↩

  16. Frohne. D. and Pf�nder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984-00-00 ISBN 0723408394

    ↩

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