Shooting Star

Description

Dodecatheon meadia, commonly called Shooting Star, is a unique perennial forb native to the eastern United States. It typically grows well in open woodlands and glades, rocky wooded slopes, bluff ledges, meadows, and prairies. It prefers shade but will tolerate a variety of conditions as long as the soil is evenly moist.

Queen bumblebees are the most typical visitors of the oddly shaped flowers. They obtain pollen from the flowers by the rapid vibration of their thoracic muscles, which is sometimes called ‘buzz pollination.’ Other bees visiting the flowers are Anthophorine bees, long-horned bees, and green metallic bees. All of these insects collect pollen, as the flowers offer no nectar reward. Mammalian herbivores may feed on the foliage during the spring, but little information is available about this.

No information currently available.

Best grown in evenly moist, humusy, well-drained soil in part shade. Will tolerate a range of sun conditions including full shade and full sun as long as evenly moist, well-draining soils are provided. Avoid poorly-drained, wet soils, particularly in winter. Best grown in shady areas in a native plant or wildflower garden, woodland garden, rock garden or naturalized area.

This plant is occasional to locally common in high quality habitats, otherwise it is rare or absent. Habitats include moist to slightly dry black soil prairies, hill prairies, openings in rocky upland forests, limestone glades, bluffs along major rivers, fens, and abandoned fields. An occasional wildfire during the late summer or fall is beneficial because it reduces the dead vegetation that can smother this plant during the spring.

This species is commonly used in the following mixes: Prairie Patchwork, Dry’n Rocky Mix

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