Ornithogalum thyrsoides Jacq.
chincherinchee, wonder-flower · tjienkerientjee, tjienk (Afr.)
Photo: AVNPlants
The chincherinchee: a winter-growing bulb with dense heads of long-lasting white flowers, famous as a cut flower.
What’s in the name: Ornithogalum: Greek for "bird's milk"; thyrsoides: "like a thyrse", a dense, crowded flower cluster.
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
— Isaiah 40:8 (KJV), The King James Version of the Bible (Project Gutenberg)
Available from AVNPlants: see the availability list.
Family
Hyacinthaceae
Conservation status
Least Concern, SANBI Red List of South African Plants
Natural distribution & habitat
Northern and Western Cape, from Namaqualand to the Cape Peninsula, Caledon and the Agulhas Plain. Vleis, sandy flats, lower slopes and disturbed ground.
Size & form
Bulb 20–50 cm tall, dormant in summer, with soft lance-shaped leaves 15–30 cm long. Leafless stalks carry 5–50 flowers in a dense or loose head.
Flowering
Early summer.
Uses in landscaping
- Winter-growing bulb for gardens and containers
- Cut flowers
Care notes
Sun, good air movement and well-drained soil, ideally on a gentle slope. Better soil, water and warmth give bigger flowers. Increase mainly by bulblets, also seed.
Find out more
In the garden
Facts checked against: SANBI PlantZAfrica species page 'Ornithogalum thyrsoides'; SANBI Red List of South African Plants, Ornithogalum thyrsoides Jacq. (assessment 2012/02/10).