Star-of-Bethlehem is a bulbous, trouble free plant. When in flower, it occupies a dark spot in the garden that would otherwise be bare soil. Especially brightening the underside of Paeonia ostii – a leggy, woody peony species with white flowers, it echoes the color with a fine texture.
Perfectly hardy here in USDA Zone 6, it is toxic to grazing animals, but remains undisturbed in pastures. I moved mine from the lawn, where they were naturalized but bloom sparsely due to mowing. It is vigorous yet manageable, unlike its close relative – Ornithogalum nutans – which can overtake and entire acre where a house once stood.
It blooms in concert with the Bach Festival in nearby Bethlehem, PA where Bach’s Mass in b minor was first sung in America in 1900.
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