Yellow Star Of Bethlehem
Gagea lutea

Family: Liliaceae

What it is like

Gagea lutea is a BULB growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in flower from March to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.2

Where it is found

Damp woods and pastures, especially on basic soils.

Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain and temperate Asia to Japan.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Bulb - raw or cooked. A famine food, it is only used in times of scarcity. Young leaves - cooked.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Requires a moist soil, preferring one on the alkaline side of neutral, and succeeding in sun or shade. The dormant bulbs are fairly hardy and will withstand soil temperatures down to at least -10°c.

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Sow the seed thinly so that there is no need to transplant them, and grow the seedlings on in the same pot in the greenhouse for their first year or two. Give an occasional liquid feed to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. Pot up the small bulbs when the plants are dormant, placing 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another year or two in the greenhouse before planting them out when they are dormant. Division. We have no details of when is the best time to divide the bulbs but suggest doing it after the leaves die down in the summer.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Habit: Bulb

Hardiness: 5-9

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

G. sylvatica.