Poultry farmer (Ornithogalum) - home care

Latin name: Ornithogalum

Category: perennial herbaceous bulbous plants

Native to: Southern Africa

Interesting information about bird's eye flower (Ornithogalum)

All bird's eye flowers are a genus of herbaceous bulbous perennial flowering plants. They belong to the family Asparagaceae, order Asparagales. Interestingly, in the not-so-distant past, they were classified as lilies.

Botanists know best, because, indeed, each genus requires its own individual approach. And so, the genus Ornithogalum includes approximately 150 species, and in the wild, they are found in subtropical areas and temperate zones of Central Europe, Africa, and Central Asia. One species of this plant grows in South America, and about four species are found in North America. The bird's eye flower plant prefers mountainous areas. All species of bird's eye flower have lanceolate, green, linear, glossy leaves. The flowers are white with various shades and a silvery sheen, collected in shield-shaped vertical inflorescences.

It does not require special attention and looks great when grown in gardens.

Variety of bird's eye flower species

Bird's eye flower umbrella (Ornithogalum umbellatum L.)

One of the most well-known Ornithogalum species is the bird's eye flower umbrella, or white brandushki. Its distinctive feature is primarily its modest size, the original color of the grooved leaves with a longitudinal white stripe, and the unusual umbrella-shaped inflorescence. A large, green bulb is located small and protrudes significantly from the ground.

Bird's eye flower umbrella is the only species, according to experts, that is officially recognized by medicine as a valuable source of colchicine, which helps treat gout, certain immune, and oncological diseases.

Bird's eye flower pyramidal (Ornithogalum pyramidale L.)

One of the most common perennial ornamental plants, reaching a height of 50-100 cm, native to Southern Europe and the Middle East. Over four hundred years ago, it began to be cultivated to decorate and landscape gardens and parks.

Shiny, ground-hugging, fleshy, linear leaves of greenish-blue color. Egg-shaped bulbs, about four centimeters in diameter. The erect or spreading flower stalk grows up to half a meter in height with a raceme inflorescence, consisting of 16-18 small white flowers, each about three centimeters in diameter. The flowering period of the pyramidal bird's eye flower lasts up to two weeks, which is the latest, in mid-summer, from the end of June to mid-July. The pyramidal bird's eye flower is undemanding and frost-resistant.

Bird's eye flower Arabic (Ornithogalum apabicum L.)

One of the most heat-loving bird's eye flowers, so in countries with moderate temperatures, it is grown in greenhouses, houses, and bright rooms. Its native region is the western part of the Mediterranean.

The Arabic bird's eye flower has light green, linear, drooping leaves that form a basal rosette. From it grows a vertical flower stalk up to a meter high with white, extremely beautiful flowers up to 5 cm in diameter with a pleasant aroma, collected in a loose, sparsely flowered inflorescence. It blooms in May for two to three weeks. These unusual inflorescences of the Arabic bird's eye flower are used in making bouquets.