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Cox, Fran

Dodecatheon hendersonii

Dodecatheon hendersonii A. Gray

Mosquito Bills, Broad-leaved Shooting Star

Primulaceae (Primrose Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: DOHE

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

A colony-forming perennial with basal rosettes of broad, rounded leaves subtending a 6-20 in., naked flowering stem. Purple or pink cyclamen-like flowers nod in clusters from the top of the stem. Four or five showy petals are swept backward, and the beak-like dark stamens and stigma shoot forward and downward.

From the Image Gallery

3 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 20 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr , May

Distribution

USA: CA , OR , WA
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: B.C. through most of CA, except s.w. portion
Native Habitat: A variety of shaded sites below 4000 ft.

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
Drought Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Moist soil in winter & spring.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Good for rock, meadow and open woodland gardens.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Bumble Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Propagate by division or seed. Plants do not flower for the first 2-3 years but develop a tuber-like root system.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 928 - 100 easy-to-grow native plants for Canadian gardens (2005) Johnson, L.; A. Leyerle

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Dodecatheon hendersonii in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Dodecatheon hendersonii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Dodecatheon hendersonii

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-07
Research By: TWC Staff

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