Dodecatheon pulchellum

Common Names

Pretty Shooting Star, Few-Flower Shooting Star, Dark Throat Shooting Star, Western Shooting Star, Prairie Shooting Star

Summary

Dodecatheon pulchellum is a western North American perennial in the Primulaceae that grows from a basal rosette with leafless flowering stems 5–50 cm tall. It bears umbels of pink to magenta flowers with reflexed petals, giving a cyclamen-like appearance; color forms range from magenta to lavender and white. Each umbel comprises 2–15 flowers atop the stem, creating a striking display in spring.

In cultivation, it tolerates sun to partial shade and prefers moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil with moisture in the growing season and drier conditions during dormancy; it is tolerant of chalk, clay, loam, and sand as long as moisture remains consistent. Hardiness is commonly listed as USDA zones 3–7; propagation is by seed or division, with seeds requiring cold exposure for germination and typically taking about three months at ~20°C in darkness, or division in spring. Not common in nurseries but easy to raise from seed; ideal for cottage and informal gardens, rock gardens, flower borders, and underplanting of roses and shrubs, as well as woodland or shaded rockeries.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

18 inches

Spread

6-12 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-7

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun to Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained soil.

Soil pH

Acidic to neutral

Bloom Color

Pink

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

About four years to reach its ultimate height.

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, attracts butterflies (larval host plant for two Lycaenidae), attracts other pollinators