Common Star of Bethlehem vs Drooping Star of Bethlehem
This guide is under construction and has not been published yet. It may have errors. When in doubt, double-check other sources for definitive ID.These two closely-related plants are usually easy to distinguish by their flowers, and they also have differences in leaves and other characteristics. In the wild in North America, Ornithogalum umbellatum is more common and widespread.
Common Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) | Drooping Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum nutans) |
A perennial native to Europe and widely planted in gardens; established in the wild across North America and widely considered to have invasive potential. | A bulbous perennial widely planted as a garden plant and established in the wild at many locations in North America. Probably has invasive potential. |
 Flower clusters spreading, individual flowers usually pointing upward. Petals consistently bright white. Photo © mayessj, CC BY 4.0. |  Flowers arranged on a spike, individual flowers oriented more to the side, sometimes drooping. Photo © jrcagle, CC BY 4.0. |
 Much narrower leaves (2-6mm) Photo © inbetweenbays, CC BY 4.0. |  Much wider leaves (8-15mm) Photo © Brian White, CC BY 4.0. |
 Petals may be bright white throughout. Anthers more likely to be bright yellow to off-white. Photo © syvwlch, CC BY 4.0. |  Petals usually have slightly darker, pale greenish coloration in middle, contrasts markedly with edge of petals. Anthers are white. Photo © wearethechampignons, CC BY 4.0. |
References & External Resources
These short lists show only links helpful for ID. For a complete list of references and resources also covering other aspects of ecology, visit the links section of the full article on each plant, which is the first entry here.
