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Dodecatheon meadia
Also called American cowslip, Pride-of-Ohio, Shooting-star, Common Shootingstar
Primula meadia, also called Dodecatheon meadia, is a native North American woodland and prairie wildflower with nodding, backswept pink to purple flowers on a rosette of leaves. It grows best in partial shade in moist, well-drained soil and is slow to bloom from seed.
Primula meadia (syn. Dodecatheon meadia), known by the common names shooting star, eastern shooting star, American cowslip, roosterheads, and prairie pointers is a species of flowering plant in the primula family Primulaceae. Also, the plant belongs to a group of herbaceous perennials.
Primula meadia and the white-flowered form P. meadia f. album have both gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Primula meadia 'Goliath' is a cultivar that grows large flowers on taller scapes. This species thrives when it is surrounded by plants that are shorter while it is in its early growing stages. Additionally, the shooting star's ideal condition is partial shade, however, it can still grow in cooler zones with sun given that the soil is moist. As far as soil is concerned, this species prefers rocky, sandy soil but is also able to flourish when planted in clay soil. Once the seed is propagated, it will grow at a very slow pace, sometimes taking up to 4 years to bloom.
The Dodecatheon genus that consists of over 12 species is native to North America. Primula meadia is the most widespread species within this genus and can be found in the central and eastern United States. Specifically, the plant grows in areas ranging from southern Wisconsin to western Pennsylvania and southeastern Texas and Georgia.
Primula meadia is commonly used as an ornamental plant in gardening practices. This species grows well when it is not obstructed by other flowers and when placed near the front of flower beds. The plant is able to coexist with other species in a woodland garden or in a rock garden. It also shares a habitat well with other native wildflower plants. The shooting star grows best in partially shady areas in a naturalized area. Primula meadia can be characterized as non-invasive because it is able to naturalize without becoming too aggressive.
Primula latiloba · Primula hendersonii · Dark Throat Shootingstar
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Primula meadia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
