XDodecatheon pulchellum - Darkthroat Shooting StarX
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Darkthroat Shooting Star -or- Few-flower shooting star -or- Western Shooting Star (Dodecatheon pulchellum), family Primulaceae (Primrose)
It was fun seeing this 'new' shooting star. The hike was fun too, easy and short - perfect for a quick outing before working later in the day. The flowers of this perennial herb are mostly pink or purple. Colors vary on conditions and soil content as is often the case in the plant world. Not an uncommon flower, but a fun looking one with it's spear shaped blooms. They are native to North America. We have seen white shooting star plants offered offered for sale for cultivated gardens. Ironically the growth zones do not include many of the locations of the native wildflower varieties.
USES: Native Americans do not recount records of edible uses for this species but the plants did have different places in their culture: Thompson: Flower used as a pattern for beadwork on gloves, moccasins, vests and jackets. Okanagan-Colville: Flowers mashed and smeared on arrows to color them pink. Blackfoot: Cooled infusion of leaves used for eye drops. Infusion of leaves gargled, especially by children, for cankers.
There are four subspecies of Darkthroat Shooting Star: cusikii, macrocarpum, monanthum, and pulchellum. Although not uncommon, the species is restricted from collection in the state of Arizona.
FunFact: The name of the genus derives from ancient Greek's belief that primrose were under the protection of the 12 major Gods of their culture.
See our other shooting star Jeffery's Shooting Star, on this site.
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Plant location: Found on May 16, 2010 on a hike in Meyer Open Space, Colorado, the Lodgepole Loop Trail - GPS coordinates: N39?32.658 W105?16.456 - Elevation: 7920' The plants are found in mostly the western half of the United States: AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY.
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Bloom season: April through August. Growth zones in Colorado are from foothills to subalpine. Weber describes this species habitat as 'along streams and by springs, from shaded canyons up into spruce-fir forest.Foliage -
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