Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia) 

Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia)

Dodecatheon meadia, more commonly known as the Shooting Star or Eastern Shooting Star, is a glorious species of flowering plant hailing from the primrose family Primulaceae. It is native to the eastern United States and Canada, spanning north from Manitoba and New York, south to Texas and Florida.

Shooting Star is a true spring ephemeral perennial on the prairie, growing to about 1 - 1½ feet tall, with flowers that emerge from a basal rosette of leaves (scapose). It blooms in the earliest of spring. And can often be found in open prairies around the same time Trout Lilies are blooming with Bloodroot in the forest understory! The flowers are nodding, and form an umbrel. Its seeds are easily dispersed by gusts of wind that shake the erect spires, if not outpaced by the newly envigorated prairie, waking up well after Shooting Star has had its time in the sun.

This species is geographically widespread, and has considerable morphological variation across its range. Most southern population have white petals, while northern populations have white to pink, lavender, or magenta petals.

If you have rocky semi-dry areas that are moist in spring but dry in summer you will see epic color variations that run this species full gamut.

This plant is considered present, native, and rare in several counties of the states of Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

It is also considered extirpated (locally extinct) in a county of the state of New York.

Plant Details:

USDA Zones: 4-8

Germination: Needs: 21 Day Cold Stratification

Life Cycle: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full to Partial

Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet, Medium, Medium-Dry

Plant Spacing: .5 -1 foot

Height: 1 foot

Bloom Time: April, May, June

Bloom Color: Pink

Advantages:

Excellent in home landscape!

Native to: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

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Packet quantities:

We pride ourselves on ethical, hands on, ecological management, using no mechanical or chemical methods whatsoever.

All of our native seed is hand reared, hand picked, and hand packed from native prairies under our exclusive management, never breaking chain of custody from the field until it is sent to you. Each packet is hand prepared for shipment by us, directly.

Small seed species will contain greater than 20-25 seed

Large seed species will contain greater than 10-15 seed

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