Mystery beauty
Q Please could you identify this flower for me? Pat James, via email
AThe lovely flower in question is chincherinchee (Ornithogalum thyrsoides). A native of South Africa’s Western Cape, it’s a bulbous perennial much prized for its dense spikes of white flowers which, when cut, last for several weeks in a vase.
Ideally, plant bulbs in pots in a gently heated greenhouse in autumn to flower in spring.