What is this six-petaled white flower with long narrow leaves?

Question

Growing on the edge of my yard I have a small clump of perennial plants that produce small white flowers in late May or early June. The flower itself is white, with six petals, and they are produced at the tips of a small branching flower stalk. The plants they come from has long, narrow, hollow leaves, with a white-ish mid-rib.

It's currently in somewhat of a bad place, close enough to the lawn that it almost gets mowed and right where a roof down-spout empties. I'd like to move it somewhere better, but first I need to know what it is, and where is best for it. Growing in USDA Zone 6.

Could be onion weed? It has the purple strip, broad leaves and bulbs. — Karen Gynes, Oct 03 '21 at 01:03

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 12 '17 at 20:07

To me it's an Ornithogalum, maybe a O. umbellatum (grass lily, nap-at-noon, or eleven-o'clock lady). Same family of Zephyranthes.

These plants should build a lot of small bulbs. You can try to dig around roots and move such small bulbs in the new place, to see if they like the new place. And as all bulbous plant, when the plant seems dead, just move the bulbs (putting them in similar deep as you collected).

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered May 30 '16 at 02:46

1

Looks to me like Zephyranthes candida, Rain Lily.

answered May 30 '16 at 02:46

Viv

921
4
12

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited Dec 06 '18 at 19:16

1

Star of Bethlehem is another name. They love to grow in grass that is kept down, either by our cutting of our lawns or in pastures because they don't like soil that is too mobile or unstable.

edited Dec 06 '18 at 19:16

Alina

5,376
2
15
47

answered Dec 05 '18 at 05:29

user24443

11
1

What is this six-petaled white flower with long narrow leaves?

3 Answers3