Growing Guides: How to Grow Ornithogalum Bulbs
Ornithogalum, also known as Starflower or Star of Bethlehem, features spear-like flower stems with multiple star-shaped white blooms. A popular cut-flower, ornithogalum is less widely known with gardeners, although it can be a valued and welcome addition to your Spring garden. Ornithogalum is especially easy to care for in warmer regions and in its native mediterranean climate. In colder zones, keep the plant happy by maintaining the soil moist but not soggy.
Planting ornithogalum bulbs:
- In the Fall, choose a spot that gets quite a lot of light and has good soil drainage.
- Planting ornithogalum bulbs is fairly simple. Bulbs resemble small onions and you will be able to easily tell that the bulb should be planted with the roots down and the tip pointing up so that they shoots can reach the surface of the soil.
- Usually the rule of thumb when planting bulbs is that bulbs need at least 2 times their height of soil above them. Dig a 2 to 3 inch deep hole, place the bulb into it and cover with soil. Leave about 6 inches of space between each bulb.
- After planting, water well so that the soil above the bulbs settles.
- Ornithogalum bulbs flower in the Spring. After the flowers die down, the plant can enjoy a warmer rest period. You don't have to water too much during this rest period. At this point, you can choose to tidy up the plant and remove the old leaves.