Many shooting star flowers are in focus against the green leaves in the background. Flowers have a yellow point, then a black band, then the reflexed white petals.

A single flower is in focus against the green background. The bottom of the flower is a yellow, pointy tip with the white petals trailing (reflexed) behind.

Several shooting stars are growing in pots in the greenhouse.

A grouping, or basal rosette, of tiny leaves emerges out of nursery plant soil in a square pot.

A basal rosette of leaves is in a black pot with nursery soil. The leaves look like a head of butter lettuce.

Spring green basal rosettes are among decaying organic material in an open woodland setting.

Fingers hold the burgandy seed pods of shooting star.

Shooting Star (Primula meadia)

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Shooting Star (Midland Shooting Star) is a plant of open prairies and savannahs. In Michigan, this plant is only known from two counties, one in the lower peninsula and one in the upper peninsula. It is categorized as an endangered plant in Michigan. Some sources you may read could still be using the previous genus categorization: Dodecatheon.

In the spring the pale green, rounded leaves emerge looking like a small head of lettuce. Flower stalks shoot up and an umbel of white to purplish flowers open. The flower stems look much like nodding wild onion, drooping over with the flower hanging down. The yellow anthers form the point of the shooting star with the petals reflexed upward. The flowers can vary from white to purplish and resemble the flowers of the cranberry plant.

Queen bumblebees visit these early blooming plants and use buzz pollination to access the pollen. There is no nectar. Once the pollen is available, other bees may also collect it as a food source.

Leaves of this plant will die back by mid-summer leaving the flower stalks with seed pods atop them. Small seeds are within the capsules.

Because the plant dies back by mid-summer, this plant can tolerate a bit drier, even rocky soil, as long as it is wet in the spring and has organic material. In praries, it grows well on slopes which apparently reduces competition with taller plants, according to Illinois Wildflowers.

(Midland) Shooting Star (Primula meadia)

Michigan Flora reference page for state distribution: Shooting Star

height: 12 inches

bloom time: April-June

soil: medium, rich, can include rocks

sun: full, partial

plant spacing: 8”

flower: white-purple

life cycle: perennial

family: Primulaceae

Michigan conservation status: endangered

Sizes:

2.5" pots quart gallon bare root

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Shooting Star (Midland Shooting Star) is a plant of open prairies and savannahs. In Michigan, this plant is only known from two counties, one in the lower peninsula and one in the upper peninsula. It is categorized as an endangered plant in Michigan. Some sources you may read could still be using the previous genus categorization: Dodecatheon.

In the spring the pale green, rounded leaves emerge looking like a small head of lettuce. Flower stalks shoot up and an umbel of white to purplish flowers open. The flower stems look much like nodding wild onion, drooping over with the flower hanging down. The yellow anthers form the point of the shooting star with the petals reflexed upward. The flowers can vary from white to purplish and resemble the flowers of the cranberry plant.

Queen bumblebees visit these early blooming plants and use buzz pollination to access the pollen. There is no nectar. Once the pollen is available, other bees may also collect it as a food source.

Leaves of this plant will die back by mid-summer leaving the flower stalks with seed pods atop them. Small seeds are within the capsules.

Because the plant dies back by mid-summer, this plant can tolerate a bit drier, even rocky soil, as long as it is wet in the spring and has organic material. In praries, it grows well on slopes which apparently reduces competition with taller plants, according to Illinois Wildflowers.

(Midland) Shooting Star (Primula meadia)

Michigan Flora reference page for state distribution: Shooting Star

height: 12 inches

bloom time: April-June

soil: medium, rich, can include rocks

sun: full, partial

plant spacing: 8”

flower: white-purple

life cycle: perennial

family: Primulaceae

Michigan conservation status: endangered

Shooting Star (Midland Shooting Star) is a plant of open prairies and savannahs. In Michigan, this plant is only known from two counties, one in the lower peninsula and one in the upper peninsula. It is categorized as an endangered plant in Michigan. Some sources you may read could still be using the previous genus categorization: Dodecatheon.

In the spring the pale green, rounded leaves emerge looking like a small head of lettuce. Flower stalks shoot up and an umbel of white to purplish flowers open. The flower stems look much like nodding wild onion, drooping over with the flower hanging down. The yellow anthers form the point of the shooting star with the petals reflexed upward. The flowers can vary from white to purplish and resemble the flowers of the cranberry plant.

Queen bumblebees visit these early blooming plants and use buzz pollination to access the pollen. There is no nectar. Once the pollen is available, other bees may also collect it as a food source.

Leaves of this plant will die back by mid-summer leaving the flower stalks with seed pods atop them. Small seeds are within the capsules.

Because the plant dies back by mid-summer, this plant can tolerate a bit drier, even rocky soil, as long as it is wet in the spring and has organic material. In praries, it grows well on slopes which apparently reduces competition with taller plants, according to Illinois Wildflowers.

(Midland) Shooting Star (Primula meadia)

Michigan Flora reference page for state distribution: Shooting Star

height: 12 inches

bloom time: April-June

soil: medium, rich, can include rocks

sun: full, partial

plant spacing: 8”

flower: white-purple

life cycle: perennial

family: Primulaceae

Michigan conservation status: endangered

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Shooting Star (Primula meadia)

Queen bumblebees visit these early blooming plants and use buzz pollination to access the pollen. There is no nectar. Once the pollen is available, other bees may also collect it as a food source.

Leaves of this plant will die back by mid-summer leaving the flower stalks with seed pods atop them. Small seeds are within the capsules.

Because the plant dies back by mid-summer, this plant can tolerate a bit drier, even rocky soil, as long as it is wet in the spring and has organic material. In praries, it grows well on slopes which apparently reduces competition with taller plants, according to Illinois Wildflowers.

Queen bumblebees visit these early blooming plants and use buzz pollination to access the pollen. There is no nectar. Once the pollen is available, other bees may also collect it as a food source.

Leaves of this plant will die back by mid-summer leaving the flower stalks with seed pods atop them. Small seeds are within the capsules.

Because the plant dies back by mid-summer, this plant can tolerate a bit drier, even rocky soil, as long as it is wet in the spring and has organic material. In praries, it grows well on slopes which apparently reduces competition with taller plants, according to Illinois Wildflowers.

Queen bumblebees visit these early blooming plants and use buzz pollination to access the pollen. There is no nectar. Once the pollen is available, other bees may also collect it as a food source.

Leaves of this plant will die back by mid-summer leaving the flower stalks with seed pods atop them. Small seeds are within the capsules.

Because the plant dies back by mid-summer, this plant can tolerate a bit drier, even rocky soil, as long as it is wet in the spring and has organic material. In praries, it grows well on slopes which apparently reduces competition with taller plants, according to Illinois Wildflowers.

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