Star-of-Bethlehem

Star-of-Bethlehem - Ornithogalum umbellatum

Alternative names
Garden Star-of Bethlehem, Common Star-of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum angustifolium
Description

Short, hairless erect plant with 6 to 9 linear channelled leaves. Flowers glistening white stars 28 to 38 mm, anthers yellow, the tepals with a broad band of green on the outside.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Grassy places, meadows and roadside verges.

When to see it

April to June.

Life History

Perennial - Sometimes seen as a casual or garden escape, but as shown in the photographs, established colonies do exist in flower meadows in our area.

UK Status

Naturalised much of Britain but never common

VC55 Status

Uncommon as a naturalised flower in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 8 of the 617 tetrads.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

All NatureSpot records