Ornithogalum narbonense
| Ornithogalum narbonense | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 0.5' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Early Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Ornithogalum narbonense (common name: star of bethlehem)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. 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[1]. 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: An easily grown plant[2], it succeeds in any position[3] in ordinary garden soil[4]. Prefers a sunny position[1]. Succeeds in short grass[2], 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.
Plants are hardy to about -10°c[1].
Range: Europe - Mediterranean.
Habitat: Grassy places and waste ground[5][2].
Edibility: Bulb[6][7][8]. No further details are given, though it is probably cooked before being eaten. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Early Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention of this plant as being toxic has been seen, it belongs to a family where there are some species that are said to be toxic. Caution should be observed. Any toxins are likely to be concentrated in the bulb[1].
Also Known As: O. arcuatum. O. pyramidale narbonense.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Grey, Charles. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate, 1938.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.