Choose shooting star by home climate first: Eastern Pride of Ohio, Padre's, Henderson's, Sierra, or western dark-throat. We list five kinds.
Choose Eastern shooting star, Padre's, or a western kind
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern prairie or woodland | Eastern shooting star (D. meadia) | A western dry-rest schedule on Pride of Ohio |
| California grassy slope | Padre's shooting star (D. clevelandii) | Summer irrigation on a dormant tuber |
| Western open woodland | Henderson's shooting star (D. hendersonii) | A wet summer rest; florist cyclamen in a foil pot |
| Cool mountain spring | Sierra or dark-throat shooting star | A fifth shop name as a catalog card |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of dodecatheon that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Eastern shooting star does not need a dry dormant period like most western species. [1] Garden plants stand about 1 to 2 feet in bloom. [2] Color — pink, lavender, or white — is not a different care method.
Is Pride of Ohio a western shooting star?
No. Pride of Ohio is Eastern shooting star. Western kinds want a drier rest after the rains stop.
Browse by kind
Eastern shooting star
Eastern shooting star (D. meadia) is Pride of Ohio: pink to white shuttlecocks, often with a reddish leaf base. Summer dieback does not need a desert-dry rest.
Padre's shooting star
Padre's shooting star (D. clevelandii) is the California grassy-slope kind. It dies back after the rains; keep that rest dry.
Henderson's shooting star
Henderson's shooting star (D. hendersonii) is mosquito bills / sailor caps. Drain after bloom or the tuber rots. Packets may say Californian cyclamen — not florist cyclamen.
Sierra shooting star
Sierra shooting star (D. jeffreyi) is the taller mountain kind. Cool, wetter springs; do not treat it as a chaparral dry-rest plant.
Dark-throat shooting star
Dark-throat shooting star (D. pulchellum) is the western dark-beak form in this catalog. Same spring clock as the other western kinds.
Not shooting star — hydrangea, succulent, and florist cyclamen
- Hydrangea Shooting Star is a hydrangea cultivar. It shares a nickname, not a family or a care method.
- Shooting star succulent and Sedum Shooting Star are drought succulents. Do not copy their dry-calendar onto a spring ephemeral.
- Primula on the label is often the same plant. Some floras moved shooting stars into Primula (for example Primula meadia); others keep Dodecatheon. [3] Culture still follows this ephemeral, not an evergreen bog primrose.
- Florist cyclamen is Cyclamen persicum, a winter pot plant. Henderson's may be sold as Californian cyclamen; confirm Dodecatheon / Primula hendersonii on the tag. [4]
- Alba, Aphrodite, Goliath, jeweled shooting star are shop strains or a related species we do not card. Match height on the tag; do not invent a type.
Is hydrangea Shooting Star this plant?
No. That is a hydrangea. Shooting star here is Dodecatheon, a spring wildflower that goes bare by midsummer.
Is Primula on the label the same plant?
Often yes. Many lists now file shooting stars under Primula. If the flower has swept-back petals on a leafless scape, you have the right plant — not a florist cyclamen.
If the tag says shooting star and the plant is a woody hydrangea or a foil-pot cyclamen, put it back and look for Dodecatheon.
FAQ
Do we list Alba, Aphrodite, or jeweled shooting star?
No. Those are selections or a related species (jeweled / amethyst shooting star). The five kinds here are meadia, clevelandii, hendersonii, jeffreyi, and pulchellum.
What is American cowslip?
An old common name for Eastern shooting star, not English cowslip primrose. Confirm Dodecatheon or Primula meadia on the tag.
Is Californian cyclamen florist cyclamen?
No. Californian cyclamen is a shop name for Henderson's shooting star. Florist cyclamen is a different winter pot plant.
Related guides
References
- [1] Wisconsin Horticulture -
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/shooting-star-dodecatheon-meadia/ - [2] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/primula-meadia/ - [3] University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture -
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/Dodecatheon-meadia-Shooting-Star-04-26-2019.aspx - [4] PlantNative -
https://plantnative.org/native-plants/shooting-star-dodecatheon-hendersonii.htm
This note is part of Dodecatheon Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors