Ornithogalum thyrsoides

One of our popular exports in the flower world is our fabulous Ornithogalums, also known as Chincherinchees. They are well-known for their long vase life. Get them in in May in the Southern Hemisphere for a glorious spring showing.

There are about 214 species of Ornithogalums, 40 of which come from our local floral kingdom. The most well-known Ornithogalum thyrsoides has spectacular white star-shaped flowers in clusters on tall stems and is commonly known as the fun chincherinchee – from the sound the stems make when they rub together in the wind. This plant from the Cape has been used for centuries as a medicine and as a poison.

Ornithogalums have a disjunctive distribution in Africa, the Middle East, southern Europe and western Asia, but most species occur in Southern Africa – mainly in the winter rainfall regions of the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape.

To note: Most Ornithogalums are toxic to animals.

Ornithogalum Grow and care

Plant in May for flowering in September and October.
Choose a position in full sun.
The soil must be rich and well-draining. Add compost to the planting area to a depth of 30 cm.
Plant with the pointy side up – it looks like an onion, so it is easy to see – twice as deep as the bulb’s height. Cover with soil and water well.
Plant 10 cm apart.
Water regularly in the growing season, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged. This usually means every 3-4 days if there is no rain.
Add a layer of mulch to conserve water.
Deadhead flowers regularly.
Allow the plants to die back naturally so that they give all their energy to the bulbs for the next season, and in late summer, you can cut them back. The leaves will yellow and die back.
Leave them in the ground, or lift and store them for dividing and planting in autumn again.

Special Characteristics

Lasts for a month or more as a cut flower.
Also known as the star of Bethlehem.
Can be propagated by bulblets or by seed.
Good for containers.
Relatively pest- and disease-free.
Chinks are a true bulb with scales like an onion.

Look out for

The white flowering chinks are by far the most popular and widely available, but there are others out there if you look hard enough and shop online. Ornithogalum dubium is a lovely orange with the same look as the white and grows on mountain slopes from Clanwilliam to Caledon and as far as Gqeberha.

Ornithogalum saundersiae is one species that isn’t from the Cape and is found in the wild on the east coast of South Africa. This one has giant white flowers that bloom in mid-summer on tall 1,5 m stems.