Eastern Shooting Star

Dodecatheon meadia

Family Primulaceae

Brief Description: Flowers white to lavender or lilac 0.5-1.25 inches long and point to the ground. Leaves oblong, 3-8 inches with red at the base. Stands around 15 inches tall with the flowers shooting out of the middle of the plant.

Blooms in May and June.

Geographic Range: From Maryland to Georgia, and Alabama, west to southern Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Habitat: Moist or dry woods and prairies

Garden Use: A fairly short-lived plant that can tolerate sun and shade.

Historic Uses: The flower looks like a feathered headdress with its petals shooting up towards the sky.