Growing Guides:
How to Grow Ornithogalum
(Arabian Starflower)
Ornithogalum (Arabian Starflower, Star of Bethlehem, or Sun Star) are highly underrated garden beauties that deserve to be a more familiar name on every gardener’s lips. Consisting of clusters of gorgeous white flowers on long stems, these easy-to-grow and long-lasting striking blooms are perfect for beds, borders and containers, and also make superb cut flowers. Do your garden a favour and let it become acquainted with stunning Ornithogalum.
Planting Ornithogalum (Arabian Starflower) bulbs:
Follow our simple step-by-step guide to planting Ornithogalum bulbs:
- Ornithogalum bulbs are planted In Autumn, before the ground freezes. Pick a spot with good drainage.
- Dig a hole around 6-8cm deep (follow the general rule of thumb when planting bulbs and give the bulbs at least 2 times their height of soil above them), drop the bulb in, and cover with soil. Make sure you place the bulb the right way up - Starflower bulbs look like a miniature onion with a slightly pointy head and sometimes have wiry roots growing out of the underside - plant with the pointy head / spike pointing up.
- Leave approximately 15cm between each bulb. If you are planting in containers, you can space them a little closer together.
- After planting, water well so that the soil above the bulbs settles.
- Ornithogalum bulbs will flower in Spring. After the flowers die down, allow the plant to enjoy a rest period - there is no need to water much during this period. Leaves will also die back and at this point you can choose to tidy up the plant and remove the old leaves or just let nature take its course.
