The mountain Star of Bethlehem is a native of the dry southern Mediterranean regions from Italy through to Israel where it grows on rocky and often arid hillsides. It bears one inch six-petaled white star-shaped flowers that appear on eight inch tall flower spikes in May and June. The common name is for the Star of Bethlehem that appeared in the biblical account of the birth of Jesus. Admire this beautiful plant with caution, because all parts of it, especially the bulb, are poisonous if ingested, although this same characteristic makes it unattractive to rabbits and deer. It prefers sunny well-drained locations and is not reliably hardy in the Chicagoland area.