Shooting Star

Dodecatheon
A genus of very long-lived perennials native to North America. They prefer full sun to partial shade on humus-rich, well drained soil. Slugs or aphids may occur rarely, however Shooting Stars are usually not bothered by insect pests or disease. Propagation is from seed sown upon ripening and kept in a cold frame over the winter or root division done as the foliage is dying down and the plants are going dormant. Seedlings may take 3 to 4 years to reach blooming size.

* historical archive photo

Dodecatheon clevelandii ( Padre's Shooting Star )
A perennial, reaching up to 16 inches in height, that is native from San Francisco to north-central California; south to the northern Baja Peninsula.
The wavy-edged, toothed, oblanceolate leaves are up to 4.5 inches in length..
The white or pink flowers appear during spring.
Hardy zones 8 to 10 in partial shade on loamy, well drained soil. Native to Mediterranean climates, it enjoys winter moisture and summer dryness.

Dodecatheon hendersonii ( Henderson's Shooting Star )
A perennial, reaching up to 1.8 feet high, that is native to western North America ( from the Queen Charlotte Islands to south-central British Columbia to northern Idaho; south to southern California ).
The oblanceolate leaves are up to 6.5 x 3 inches in size. The flowers range from white to pinkish-purple. They usually appear during mid to late spring but may occur during late winter in California.

* photos taken by Jean Pawek @ CalPhotos

Dodecatheon jeffreyi ( Jeffrey's Shooting Star )
A perennial, reaching a maximum height of 2.5 feet in height, that is native to the western U.S. ( from Anchorage, Alaska to western Montana; south to central California to Wyoming ). It is endangered in the wild in Wyoming.
The oblanceolate leaves are up to 18 x 3 inches in size.
The lavender-pink flowers are borne on huge clusters of up to 24 individual blooms. They appear mid to late spring.
Hardy zones 5 to 8. It tolerates wet soils.

* historical archive photo

* photo taken by Jean Pawek @ CalPhotos

Dodecatheon media ( Eastern Snooting Star )
A moderate growing, long-lived, clumping perennial, reaching up to 16 x 10 inches in size, that is native to prairies and open woods in eastern North America ( southern Manitoba to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to central New York State; south to central Texas to northern Florida ). It is endangered in Manitoba, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, the Carolinas, Florida, Minnesota and Louisiana; extinct in the wild in New York State.
The oblong leaves, up to 12 ( rarely over 6 ) inches in length, are deep green.
Up to 15 deep pink ( less often white ) flowers, up to 1.2 inches long, may be borne in umbels atop a single stem up to 2 feet in height. They appear late spring into early summer.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in partial shade on moist, humus-rich, acidic, well drained soil. Moisture deficient soils should be mulched.

* photos taken by Jennifer Anderson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

* photo taken by BCarver1 at en.wikipedia

* historic archive photo

Dodecatheon pulchellum ( Dark Throat Shooting Star )
A clumping perennial, reaching up to 20 x 7 inches in size, that is native to western North America ( from King Salmon, Alaska to Fort Yukon, Alaska to far northern Yukon to Fort Nelson, British Columbia to Edmonton, Alberta to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to Manitoba; south to mountains of California to New Mexico to western Nebraska ). It has also been reported as native to the Yukon and northwest Territories. It is endangered in the wild in Nebraska. It is found in moist meadows in the wild.
The oblanceolate leaves, up to 10 inches long, are deep green.
Up to 20 deep pink flowers, up to 0.6 inches wide, may be borne in umbels atop a single stem up to 20 inches high, during late spring.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in partial shade on moist, humus-rich, acidic, well drained soil.

* photo taken by Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Young @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database