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Ornithogalum pyrenaicum

Bath Asparagus · Pyrenees Star of Bethlehem · Spiked Star-of-Bethlehem

Family AsparagaceaeGenus Ornithogalum

A tapering spike of small green-striped white star flowers opening from the bottom up, with green buds above, against black.
FlowerBernd HaynoldCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
bulbous geophytePlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Flower
Greenish-whiteRead from the photograph on this page
Native range
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corse and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Read from the photograph on this page — Deno's Garden; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • The young flower shoots of Bath asparagus can be eaten like asparagus. It is named for Bath in England, near which it was once abundant, and Cato the Elder recommended growing wild asparagus in his De agri cultura. Wikipedia: Ornithogalum pyrenaicum

Two sources report 4 treatments between them. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around July 23, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on July 22, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

about 6 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 77 days.

89% germination in 35–77 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ornithogalum p. 62Public domain
Show the original text
Ornithogalum (Liliaceae). O. pyrenaicum, the original sample had been DS 6 m and germ. best in 40(89% in 5-11 w). Seeds DS 2 y were dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ornithogalum p. 62. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 21, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 20, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 77 days.

90% germination in 35–77 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Ornithogalum p. 183Public domain
Show the original text
Ornithogalum (Liliaceae). James Forrest reported that 0. pyrenaicum germ. 40(89% in 5-11 w), 70-40(90% in 5-11 w), and 15% in April from seed placed outdoors March 1. Treatment with GA-3 increased rotting.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Ornithogalum p. 183. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 18, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

Germination happens during step 1, in 77 days.

89% germination in 35–77 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Ornithogalum p. 183Public domain
Show the original text
Ornithogalum (Liliaceae). James Forrest reported that 0. pyrenaicum germ. 40(89% in 5-11 w), 70-40(90% in 5-11 w), and 15% in April from seed placed outdoors March 1. Treatment with GA-3 increased rotting.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Ornithogalum p. 183. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Sow around March 1, 2027 — a date the source gives, not one counted back from a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow outdoors and leave it

    Sown outdoors in March 1; up in April.

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 30 days to germinate.

15% germination in 30 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Ornithogalum p. 183Public domain
Show the original text
Ornithogalum (Liliaceae). James Forrest reported that 0. pyrenaicum germ. 40(89% in 5-11 w), 70-40(90% in 5-11 w), and 15% in April from seed placed outdoors March 1. Treatment with GA-3 increased rotting.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Ornithogalum p. 183. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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