Prairie Shooting Star (RWMWD Plant Guide)

Prairie Shooting Star

Dodecatheon meadia

Summary ³

Dodecatheon meadia is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to North America. It is found in the American South, as well as the Upper Midwest, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania and the Canadian province of Manitoba. It grows in woods and prairies and tolerates partial shade.

Description ⁴

Family:
Primulaceae (Primrose)

Height:
8 to 20 inches

Leaves:
All leaves form at the base of the plant and can be up to 12 inches long and 3 inches wide. Has a smooth leaf edge.

Flower:
6 or more nodding flowers arranged in a cluster. Can be pink, lavender, or white, with 5 lobes up to 1 inch long.

Bloom time:
April-June

Nicknames:
Pride-of-Ohio

Habitat:
Open prairies, savannas, open woods

Wildlife Benefits:
Flowers are attractive to bumblebees.

Can I plant this in my garden?
Yes, prairie shooting star can be planted in sun to part shade gardens with mesic to dry soils. It provides beautiful and unique blooms in spring. It has low populations in the wild in Minnesota and is considered endangered.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/prairie-shooting-star

Range ⁴

Sources and Credits

(c) tsc_wis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Primula%20meadia
(c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNaturalistAU Map

Family	Primulaceae
Habit	Forb
Origin	native
Life cycle	perennial
Listing	state endangered
Flower	pink, purple, white
Bloom time	(4) April, (5) May, (6) June
*sites	Snail Lake

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