Common Name: Eastern Shooting Star

Scientific Name: Primula meadia

Family: Primulaceae

Habitat: Woodlands, Slopes, Meadows

Native: Yes

Life Cycle: Perennial, Ephemeral

Bloom Time: Spring

Height: Up to 2 feet 

Light: Partial shade

Soil: Moist, Well drained

Pollinators: Bees

Description: This native spring ephemeral, which is named Eastern Shooting Star after the “shooting star-like” appearance of its flowers with pointed yellow centers, blooms between March and June in woodlands, along slopes, and in meadows with moist, well drained soil and partially shady conditions. Although the Eastern Shooting Star in this photo has white flowers, Eastern Shooting Star can have white, pink, or purple flowers. This photo of an Eastern Shooting Star was taken in the Woodland Garden at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve.