Out of Africa - Garden Plants – Chincherinchee

Name – yet another many named plant, the Chincherinchee is also known as Ornithogalum and Star of Bethlehem. The Greeks used the term ‘bird's milk’ ornithos (bird) and gala (milk) to describe something incredible – which these flowers are for several reasons including their fragrance and longevity. The South Africans know them as tjenkenrientjee which is where the very strange English name chincherinchee comes from.

Description -Their flowers may be bell or star-shaped and are sometimes very fragrant . They bloom individually in circles carried at the top of leafless stems. They are usually white but also appear in yellow and orange shades.

Origin - Ornithogalum thyrsoides is native to South Africa while the Ornithogalum umbellatum is native to the Mediterranean but both belong to the lily family and grow from bulbs. Ornithogalum umbellatum has large star-shaped white flowers and narrow leaves with an elegant green stripe on each flower. Ornithogalum dubium is much rarer and comes in a clear orange shade, and has cup-shaped flowers. The chincherinchee can tolerate many conditions from woodland to a dry sunny flowerbed. Flowers are produced from June and July and are long-lasting when cut – the white variety is the most fragrant.

For Decoration – This plant is sometimes called the ‘florist's nightmare’ because of its long vase life, which can easily be a whole month. The water in the vase much be changed every two days to keep the flowers fresh, other than that, the flowers need no care and can perfume a whole room with their fragrance.

Africa Chincherinchee photograph by AnnaKika, used under a creative commons attribution licence

 

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