Leaf
Liliane Roubaudi, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Garden star-of-Bethlehem
Ornithogalum umbellatum L.
Also known as: Star-of-Bethlehem, Eleven-o'clock lady, Sleepy dick
Family: Asparagaceae
10 to 30 cm tall
Meadows, gardens, light woodland, ordinary soils
Flowering: April – June
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its flowers only open in late morning, generally around eleven o'clock, and close again in the evening — hence its French name, "dame d'onze heures" (eleven o'clock lady).
🍃 Leaves
Narrow, linear, bright green with a central white line
🌸 Flowers
White stars with green undersides, grouped in an umbel
🍎 Fruits
Small angular capsules
🪵 Bark
Underground bulb, upright flowering stem
🗺️ Distribution
Southern and central Europe; naturalised in meadows and orchards in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
White star-shaped flowers opening in full sun, visited by bees in spring.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Naturalised lawns, rock gardens, borders; discreet, easy spring flowering.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Bulb toxic (like other Ornithogalum), may cause digestive disorders if eaten.
🌿 Other Asparagaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.
© Floraneo — profile content is protected; reproduction without permission is prohibited. Photos remain under their own licence (see the credit shown on each photo).