RESEARCH &
EDUCATION
CENTERS (REC)
Star of Bethlehem
Ornithogalum umbellatum
Life cycle: bulbous perennial; frequently sold as a spring-flowering bulb (buyer beware!)
Growth habit: grows in tufts in lawn or beds
Reproduction: new bulbs generated each year
Conditions that favor growth: escaped cultivation to become a weed of turfgrass, often in and around old flower gardens; less common along roadsides and waste areas
Cultural control: dig out and dispose of bulbs (bulblets), which is best done when the soil is moist; do not compost
Newly emerging star of Bethlehem (March)
Star of Bethlehem bulbs