Shooting Star is a native North American wildflower that forms a low rosette of rounded leaves. It the spring long red or green stems emerge with several unusual blooms in a shooting star-like appearance. They grow best in moist, humusy well-drained soil in part shade. Avoid poorly drained sites. By mid-summer, the foliage disappears and the plant goes dormant. Use in a woodland garden, on a slope or in a rock garden. More information on Primula .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Leaf color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblanceolate; Oblong
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
A basal cluster 3-10 in. long green leaves with leaf bases often marked with red.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The 1 in. flower has five lilac, pink or white petals, which point sharply backward. The stamens form a beak-like cone in the center giving it a shooting star look. Flowers are arranged in an umbel of 8-20 and nod from the end of a leafless 6-20 inch flower stalk. Flowers bloom from March to June.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit detail
Fruit displays from May to June.
Stem color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Tall leafless red or green stalk
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
South Central Canada to Central & East U.S.A
Distribution
AL , AR , DC , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MD , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NY , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA , WI , WV