Columbia Magazine

Signs of Spring: Star of Bethlehem

2020-05-05 - Shelbyville, KY - Photo by Pen
According to Wikipedia, Ornithogalum umbellatum, which is also known as "the garden star-of-Bethlehem, grass lily, nap-at-noon, or eleven-o'clock lady, is a species of the genus Ornithogalum, is a perennial bulbous flowering plant in the asparagus family.... O. umbellatum is often grown as a garden ornamental, but in North America and other areas it has escaped cultivation and can be found in many areas, where it may become an invasive noxious weed. Parts of the plant are considered poisonous, but are used in some regional cuisines. Essences are also sold as patent remedies. O. umbellatum has been depicted in art by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, and folklore has suggested it originally grew from fragments of the star of Bethlehem, hence its horticultural name.
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