# Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem (*Gagea lutea*)

The Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem is a bright yellow flower that blooms in spring. Its star-shaped petals make it look like a tiny sun shining in the grass!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Gagea_close-up.jpg&width=800)

Photo: CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gagea_close-up.jpg)

## Appearance

The Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem has bright, star-shaped yellow flowers, typically with six petals, that shine like tiny suns. Its thin, grass-like leaves often blend in with surrounding vegetation. Unlike other small white 'stars' found in woodlands, this one boasts a distinct cheerful golden hue.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Liliales
- **Family:** Liliaceae
- **Genus:** Gagea

## Interesting facts

- Its leaves are so thin, they look like blades of grass hiding in the dirt!
- Its scientific name, Gagea, honors a famous Irish botanist, Thomas Gage!
- The bright yellow petals only open when the sun is shining directly on them.
- This tiny plant is a type of lily, even though it looks very different from a tall lily!

## Special abilities

- **Underground Powerhouse:** Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem has a tiny bulb that stores food, helping it survive cold winters and bloom early.
- **Spring Sprinter:** This plant can sprout and bloom very early in spring, soaking up sunlight before taller trees grow their leaves.
- **Ant Helpers:** Its seeds have a special fatty cap that ants love to carry, helping the plant spread its offspring to new places.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits its bright yellow flowers for nectar.
- **Eats:** [Black garden ant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-garden-ant) (*Lasius niger*) — Carries nutrient-rich seed parts (elaiosomes) to its nest.
- **Eaten by:** Spanish slug (*Arion lusitanicus*) — Occasionally nibbles on its tender leaves.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't pick flowers, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem?

10-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem?

1-2 cm

### When does Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem bloom?

Spring

### Is Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem edible?

No

### Is Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem toxic?

Mild

### What is Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem's lifecycle?

Perennial

### How is Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem pollinated?

Insect

## Where to spot

- [Schlossgarten Eutin](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eutin-castle-garden) — Schleswig-Holstein, DE · Park
- [TERRA.vita Nature and Geopark](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/terra-vita-nature-and-geopark) — Niedersachsen; Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-star-of-bethlehem)