Candles in the Wind

 

I am not sure why I rarely see this flowering bulb in other gardens. Perhaps it is the cumbersome name which seems to only be in Latin, Ornithogalum magnum. It is listed in John Scheepers catalog as hardy from zone 5 to 8. I have it planted in a border with filtered light and this is its first year in that border. I plan on adding more.A member of the Hyacinthaceae family, this bulb produces multiple white star shaped flowers on  a raceme borne on 2'-3' stems. Planted in among perennials, the flower spike shoots up through the foliage appearing suddenly creating another dimension to a border. It blooms in June supposedly with the alliums. The alliums bloomed early here and are past bloom  but, no matter, this flower is just a delight. I think this flowering bulb deserves a more marketable name. Want to give it a go? I vote for 'Star of Spring' or 'White Lance'.  Ornithogalum magnum doesn't really roll off the tongue or give any hint of the beauty of this bulb. That name sounds as if it should belong to a big bird. What name would you like to see on this flowering bulb?