Your wish for a beautiful native garden is granted with this shooting star!
Just like the celestial event that shares its common name, the white-to-pink blooms tower above the leafy rosettes on the ground, seemingly ready to strike. However, unlike the shooting stars of the sky, the blooms last far longer on this spring ephemeral. You’ll typically find these in the woods, adding to the spring sparkle on the forest floor before the trees fully leaf out. This beauty loves to grow on moist slopes, where competition is minimal. The nice thing about spring ephemerals is once they go dormant, summer heat and potential droughts are of no concern – they’re done and waiting for the following year.
Cool Eco-Facts
The this flower is buzz-pollinated typically by queen bumblebees. If you’d like to see all of the other buzz-pollinated plants, check out my MagiK Picks category Give Me A Buzz. Other bees seen visiting this flower include digger bees (Anthophorini tribe), long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.) and green metallic sweat bees (Augochlorella spp., Augochloropsis spp.) all of which collect pollen, since the flowers of Dodecatheon spp. do not produce nectar. As a spring bloomer, this is an early food source for our native bees.
For those concerned about taxa:
Is it Primula or Dodecatheon? BONAP lists this as Dodecatheon, but ITIS has it listed as Primula. This is one of those taxa that seems to be contested, use whatever makes sense to you.
‘Goliath’ Seed Strain
In early 2025, I opted to grow a very limited number of the seed strain ‘Goliath,’ primarily for my own collection. Any plants I have extra, once they are large enough, I will sell off in the shop. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. This one is reputed to be a larger midland shooting star selection, with more robust growth and taller flowers. I will make an announcement once I have a few available for sale.
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