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Muller, Thomas L.

Dodecatheon pulchellum

Dodecatheon pulchellum (Raf.) Merr.

Darkthroat Shooting Star, Few-flower Shooting Star, Western Shooting Star

Primulaceae (Primrose Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: DOPU

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

A few flowers like deep pink darts point in all directions from an umbel atop a long, erect stalk growing from a basal cluster of leaves.

This is a common species, varying in color of the tube below the anthers, presence or absence of glandular hair on foliage, and shape of leaves.

From the Image Gallery

22 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 2 feet tall.
Leaf: Green.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink , Yellow , Purple
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AK , AZ , CA , CO , ID , MT , ND , NE , NM , NV , OR , SD , UT , WA , WY
Canada: AB , BC , MB , NT , SK , YT
Native Distribution: Throughout western North America.
Native Habitat: From coastal prairies to mountain meadows and streamsides.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low

Benefit

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.

Find Seed or Plants

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

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:		FACW	FACW			FACW				FACW

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

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 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 62 - Burke Herbarium Image Collection (2020) University of Washington
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 pulchellum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Dodecatheon pulchellum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Dodecatheon pulchellum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-05-03
Research By: TWC Staff

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