Star of Bethlehem derives its botanical name from the Greek word ‘Ornithogalum’ which stands for ‘bird’s milk flower’. The plant is named after its star shaped flowers as it is mentioned in the birth of Jesus in the Bible.

This bulbous perennial plant bears a cluster of leaves which grows from the base of the plant. These linear leaves often have a white line in the middle part of the leaf which has smooth edges. The brilliant white flowers are star shaped with stripes of green, arranged in clusters on the long vertical stalk which emerges from the middle of the bunch of leaves. Each flower has six tepals, a feature in which the sepals of the flower resemble the petals. The flowers are sweetly fragrant and blossom in the later part of spring. These beautiful flowers bloom in the morning and close their petals by noon and are pollinated mainly by bees.

The plant is widely found in the southern regions of Europe and some parts of the Middle East as well as in the U.S.A. The plant is quite familiar in places like the meadows, banks of streams, prairie land and ditches. It grows well in loamy soil which contains a good amount of moisture, it requires bright sunlight and grows equally well in partial shade.