Botanical atlas

Pyramidal Star-of-Bethlehem

Ornithogalum narbonense

Across the dry hillsides of the Mediterranean, farmers and shepherds came to know this plant by sight and to give it a wide berth, since its bulbs were understood to be dangerous to grazing animals rather than useful to people or livestock. Unlike many of its garden cousins, Pyramidal Star-of-Bethlehem carries no meaningful history in folk medicine or the kitchen. Its story instead belongs to the flower garden, where generations of Mediterranean and later European gardeners prized its tidy spikes of white, star-shaped blooms as a graceful, low-maintenance addition to spring borders and cutting beds.

Safety.

Ornithogalum narbonense, like other members of the Star-of-Bethlehem genus, contains cardiac glycosides (cardenolides) concentrated most heavily in the bulb, along with other toxic compounds throughout the plant. Ingestion can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and in significant amounts may affect heart rhythm, similar to the toxicity seen with foxglove. It is considered toxic to people, dogs, cats, and grazing livestock such as sheep, goats, and cattle, and there is no established safe internal dose. This plant has no traditional or modern use as a food or herbal remedy; it should be treated strictly as an ornamental and kept out of reach of children, pets, and livestock, with bulbs planted where they will not be mistaken for edible ones. If ingestion is suspected, contact a poison control center, physician, or veterinarian right away rather than attempting home treatment.