Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Africa, South Africa
Central America, Mexico
Types
Ornithogalum Umbellatum
Ornithogalum thyrsoides
Ornithogalum dubium
Ornithogalum arabicum
Ornithogalum nutans
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
603
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Grassland
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-107-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-7
12-1
Sunset Zone
21,22
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.30 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Orange, Gold
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green, Yellow green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers, From bulbs
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bog Garden, Borders, Decorating walls
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Root
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
-
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
ORNITHOGALUM dubium
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Snake Flower, Sun Star, Yellow Chincherinchee
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Sun Star
Mousemelon
In German
Sun Star
Maus Melone
In French
Sun Star
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Sun Star
Mousemelon
In Greek
Sun Star
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Sun Star
melão rato
In Polish
Sun Star
mysz melona
In Latin
Sun Star
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Platyhelminthes
Tracheophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Cucurbitales
Family
Asparagaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Ornithogalum
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Ornithogaleae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Scilloideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
5050
1
27800
👆🏻