Primula meadia (L.) A.R. Mast & Reveal

Eastern Shooting Star; Pride of Ohio

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Eastern Shooting Star is a native herbaceous perennial in the Primrose family (Primulaceae). It is native to northern and west-central Alabama. Eastern Shooting Star occurs in rich hardwood forests, in prairies, in rocky woods, and on limestone slopes. It is a perennial with white or tan colored cord-like fibrous roots. The plant is scapose with a basal rosette of leaves. Leaves are oblanceolate to spatulate with winged petioles. The leaves are glabrous with entire margins. Flowers are produced in a long stalked umbel with 5-25 flowers. Each flower has 4-5 green sepals with reflexed lobes. The corolla is short tubular with reflexed lobes. There are 4-5 white or pink petals with a red ring at their base. The stamens are exserted and the connective tissue between them is dark maroon or black. The pollen sacs are yellow. The fruit is a capsule. Eastern Shooting Star exhibits buzz pollination in which the pollen remains within the anthers until shaken loose by a bee grabbing the flower and vibrating its wings at the right frequency. Eastern Shooting Star is widely cultivated and readily available from nurseries. Several cultivars have been developed. It prefers a slightly shade location with dampish soils. Eastern Shooting Star is striking when planted in mass.—A. Diamond

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Native

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