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Plant ID ?

16 years ago

I'm not sure where to put this post As it's neither a cactus or a houseplant . Had this for about four years or more and I lost the tag a few years ago . It's a bulb plant that produces pups which I currently have three of .

Here is a link that might be useful: http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2009/12/mystery_plant_16.html?cat=desert_gardens

Comments (11)

  • 16 years ago

    It looks a little like a pregnant onion (Ornithogalum longibracteatum)

  • 16 years ago

    The leaves look a lot like my Pregnant Onion, but I don't have mine potted quite as deep. Mine are young and haven't bloomed either. Even though they haven't bloomed, they are producing bulblets by "the dozen"!!!

  • 16 years ago

    I doubt that's Pregnant Onion, sorry; I can't suggest what it is.

    Why not post it at the "Name that Plant" Forum (assuming it still exists -- I haven't looked in some time).

  • 16 years ago

    Hi ...It is a pregnant onion, I have one just like it that is now in bloom just like yours.....heres a pic of mine...
    {{gwi:630634}}
    see the little flower on the right side of the pic...think it is the same...pregnant onion....
    linda

  • 16 years ago

    I agree with all of you "pregnant onion" I also have them coming up all over the place. After all of these years we finally have a documentated one at the Huntington Gardens. The bulb can get quiet large if you let it. Norma

  • 16 years ago

    Norma , perhaps there are different species of Ornithogalum ? This bulb is huge , it has probably 15 or so layers so I don't know how old it is . This particular Ornithogalum looks alittle different than the typical Pregnant Onion , even the 3 pups that I have come out absolutley huge . Believe it or not , that's a 12 inch pot in the picture . Seems to be frost hardy , it's been outdoors in full sun for at least four years . It's gone through 32 F winter nights and 110 F summer days .

  • 16 years ago

    Definitely an Ornithogalum. While the foliage looks like Ornithogalum longibracteatum/caudatum, the buds seem too large to be that. Do the blooms open up all white or do they keep their green stripes?

  • 16 years ago

    hey there , they open up white with green stripes .

  • 16 years ago

    You are exactly right. It is listed as such in all of my books. Norma

  • 16 years ago

    There is only one species of this plant, there may be other Ornithogallum caudatum, there be different forms,
    I'll need to spend another hour and check this out just to be sure. There are thousands of bulbs from Aftica. short list of the species Ornithogalum:
    1. suaveolens
    2. maculatum, var. pink and yellow/orang
    3. dubium
    4. thyrsoide
    Now they all don't grow the same, the bulb is large/smaller different
    5. the leaves may also be different
    6. found in different locations
    now I am going to try another book

    Second List:
    7. arabicum
    8. balansae
    9. caudatum see O.
    lonngibracteatum

    1. montanum
    2. nutans
    3. oligophyllum see O. balansae
    4. pyramidale
    5. phrenaicum
    6. saundersiae
    7. thyrsoides
    8. triniatum O.dubium
    9. umbellatum 'Dove's dung' Star-of-Bethlehem)

    Now perhaps there are more, but I tired now. I have typed duplicates. So just cross them off. I also have may be misspelled some, so please for give me. I also may have left out letters, well I am not making any corrections. The book weighs more than I do, and I' not supposed to lift over five lbs.
    There is only one 'Pregnant Onion, very few are available when you are trying to find them. Norma
    7.arabicum

  • 16 years ago

    Pregnant onion. Mine will produce offsets from tiny to almost as big as the mother bulb. Put it in a bigger pot and give it a lot of sun, they can tolerate full sun even here in Texas, it will tolerate and grow in full shade but I get better growth, more offsets and more blooms in full sun. These can develop a huge root system.

    Norma, they are getting easier to find but still not very common in retail. The big boxes will get them on occassion in their cactus displays. Cactus King in Houston has some very large ones for $5 a pot, there are a bunch of big ones and a lot of offsets in each pot(1 gallon pots). He's really the only one I've seen with a lot of them for sale.

    Some people call the squill a variegated pregnant onion but it isn't, different family.

    Tally HO!