Albuca bracteata

A very attractive flower head reminds me a little of a flower that we use in floristry called Chincherinchee! I like this - Is it fussy?

Meanie, I've just looked Chincherinchee up in my Dutch Wholesale book and it's an Ornithogalum! Common name Star of Bethlehem. I've got some of these in a pot in the garden - think I'll bring them in... Don't think they flowered at all this year :o( Do you think they might do better inside the Conservatory?

PT. I love chinchincheree (as i call them) they make lovely cut flowers for weddings etc. I agree this pregnant onion looks like it lol.

PT - it used to be an Ornithogalum, but they moved it! Here's a link to the PBS Ornithogallum page..................

http://bit.ly/1aJTrcz

It is not fussy, although it loathes being over-watered.

O.thyrosoides should flower easily outdoors. I think that it likes quite a bit of moisture. Might be ok if the conservatory is coolish (ie; not super hot) in the summer.

Here's the PBS Albuca page..................

http://bit.ly/1aJTzZm

Grandmage - my favourite garden Ornithogalum (O.nutans)................

http://bit.ly/1d6bmYo

http://bit.ly/1d6bBD4

Delightful pics Meanie, thanks for the connection.

As soon as I saw the flowers I thought they looked familiar - but the name "Pregnant onion" threw me off for a moment till I read PT's posts then I remembered that I used to grow 'Chincherinchees ' in my parents garden when I still lived at home. Haven't grown them any more in at least 40 years. :-((

I also grew some "Star of Bethlehem" but when I went to Spain they stayed in my parents garden & eventually seeded all over the place as there was nobody left to look after the garden. They even escaped the garden & I've seen them flowering every year, during the 12 we have been back here, in cracks in the paving & along the house wall where it joins with the pavement!

Again haven't grown them since before going to Spain in the early '70s.

The Albuca and Ornithogalum genera both have some cracking species Balcony. Here is my favourite Albuca...............

http://bit.ly/1bvUzx3

Had a look at your different links - you have some lovely plants! :-))

Thanks Balcony! I really getting into South African bulbous plants (and bulbous plants generally) at the moment. They have a defined season and can be put to bed when done, so with a bit of planning I'm hoping to have plants in bloom in the greenhouse at least 10 months a year.

I've got this plant but didn't know the name--it's not "the onion thingy" any more!

Some of the ghinko-nut-like babies have sprouted this month and my OH potted them up in the separate pots (well, he just laid them on the surface of compost).

I kept the plant in the conservatory last winter and it flowered there. I brought them outdoors in spring and unexpected frost browned the leaves. That was really a b*mmer but thank goodness the plant has recovered from the frostbite.

They can take a hint of frost in the wild, I just don't think that they appreciate months on end of it!

Yeah, I agree!