Orange Star of Bethlehem - Vreugdenhil Bulbs & Plants
The people at Vreugdenhil Bulbs & Plants are pleased to put their most popular African Breeze article, Ornithogalum dubium, in the spotlight. This is an orange flowering pot plant that they produce in a 10.5 cm growing pot.
Origin
Ornithogalum dubium is an unusual bulbous plant that is native to South Africa. It grows there on Table Mountain at the Southern Cape, which, incidentally, is the only place where you will find this plant in nature. Ornithogalum dubium belongs to the family of Hyacinthaceae (Liliaceae) and includes some 260 species that grow throughout Europe, Asia and Africa (in particular, South Africa). 'Ornis' means bird and 'gala' means milk in Greek, hence the Dutch name Bird's milk. In the United Kingdom, Ornithogalum dubium is better known as 'Star of Bethlehem'.
Care
Ornithogalum dubium is available in spring and is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use (5-35 degrees). However, the plant is not hardy and must be brought indoors during frosts. It requires only moderate watering, but during the flowering period it needs a bit more water and will thrive when given a monthly dose of fertiliser.
African Breeze
African Breeze is a Vreugdenhil Bulbs & Plants brand. It showcases 8 different products with African roots. In addition to bringing these special products together, Vreugdenhil Bulbs & Plants also wants to give something back to the continent with African Breeze. For example, they donate part of the proceeds to the 'Zambian Carnivore Programme' and have partnered up with a Dutch zoo to support (wild) animals in Africa. For more information, please visit www.africanbreeze.nl. In addition, Vreugdenhil Bulbs & Plants has started trials to switch to peat-free cultivation. As soon as these show good results, they will immediately switch to this.