Ornithogalum umbellatum, aka Star of Bethlehem. Pretty much considered a noxious weed in most parts of the US.

Looks beautiful to me!!! Spring it is. :)

I love them, as they grow in some parts of my yard where little else does. But they do run rampant, and digging them out is a very tedious exercise.

Oh wow -- I just noticed a half dozen or so of these flowers in my yard. Guess I need to make a decision soon about eradicating or confining them.

One person's weed is another person's pretty flowers.

There are some places in the garden/yard where hardy spreaders are welcome as long as they don't get too overzealous. If they are deer resistant, I'd be happy to have them as it's so difficult to grow pretty much anything here due to the deer.

"Too overzealous" is the key. This plant has the ability to become seriously invasive in many parts of the country, so goes well beyond the weed versus pretty flower debate.

gardengal, is it a native plant or an import? I don't think I've ever seen one.

It's a non-native, originating from the Mediterranean area. Imported back in the day as a garden ornamental but as is the case with any number of imported garden plants, has escaped cultivation and has run rampant.

They don't seem to be as common on the west coast as they are in the midwest and east coast.

A weed is just a flower that no-body loves.

( I think it's kind of charming, but what do I know? )

Leonardo liked them: https://www.leonardodavinci.net/star-of-bethlehem.jsp

I will take that weed any day! Mine are boring.

I have some and they usually blossom before it is time for the first mowing and after they blossom the green dies down and then I just mow where they were.

For a weed, it sure is pretty!

Does it have stickers or brambles?

Nope. Aside from its thuggish tendencies, it's a lovely plant.

Gardengal...i had a landscaper put in this bed and it ticks me off that they planted these “weeds”...and to think I had to pay for them! They are coming up where I do not want them and their roots must go down to China because I can not pull them up! What is the best way to get rid of them and not kill the other plants? Do I have to pull back the mulch and plastic so I can get to these things? Ugh! 😡

You have discovered exactly why black plastic should never be used. They are a bulb, so you have to get a shovel under the bulb mass and lift the whole clump out. And get the plastic out of the bed as soon as you can. When it begins to disintegrate, it's really a nightmare.

Certainly not a thug or invasive here, I hardly ever see more than a few in any spot. I've always loved them and would be happy to have some in my yard. phoggie, laceyvail is right, they have a tiny bulb with shallow roots and you should have no problem digging them out.

She's right about the plastic,too. Hate that stuff !

I wonder if one could enjoy their beauty and avoid the invasive aspect of their nature by planting the bulbs in pots? They are such pretty little things; it seems a shame to get rid of them entirely. Of course, phoggie, I realize that decision is entirely up to you; I was just kind of thinking out loud.

That could work!! Seed dispersal is not a big factor in its spread. But it is not well adapted to mild winter/hot summer climates so maybe why it is less familiar along the west coast.

Good idea Dawn....I do have some pots that I hadn’t planned to use!

Some interesting things that I found: the Crusaders used these as an emergency food rations while traveling to the Holy Land....the flowers open in the morning and close in the evening....the 7 points is a symbolism of 7 days of creation....they symbolize joy, optimism, purity, innocence, and hope when given to someone you love! So I would LOVE you if you would come dig these up for me! 🤣🤣

YIKES! I would suggest getting it dug out and off of the property as soon as possible. I fight star of beth every spring until the foliage is no longer visible.

Here is a link to an old thread I started. It has pictures of what a real infestation looks like. Solarization to kill ornithogalum bulbs?aka star of bethlehem