yellow chincherinchee

Ornithogalum dubium

Scientific name

Ornithogalum dubium is a long-blooming, showy plant with beautiful large flowers, ideal for growing in pots, and as a cut flower.

Ornithogalum dubium, with its dark flower centres, is adapted for pollination by monkey beetles.

Ornithogalum species are known to be poisonous. O. dubium is is used in traditional medicine as an enema for the treatment of worms.

The bulbs are prone to attack by mealy bug. This genus is susceptible to the Ornithogalum Mosaic virus that is spread by aphids.

Sandy, clay soil type

Hyancith Family

Propagation instructions

By seed

Sow seeds in autumn in a well-draining medium. Spread seeds thinly to prevent damping-off. Cover with a thin layer of river sand. Keep moist. Seed will germinate about 2 weeks after sowing.

By cutting

Ornithogalum dubium can be grown from bulbs or seed. Offsets and bulblets can be separated in late summer. Plant the bulbs in autumn in a sandy, well-draining medium. Plant about 20 mm deep. This winter-growing species enjoys full sun. Once the leaves appear, the bulbs should be watered well, but the soil should be allowed to dry out between water applications. Once the bulbs dies back in summer they should not be watered until growth commences in autumn. If they are grown in the garden, plant them in a rockery to provide excellent drainage and try to avoid watering in summer. They can also be grown in pots.

References and further reading

PlantZAfrica profile »

Wikipedia page »