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Natural
History Henderson's Shooting Star (Dodecatheon hendersonii) Richard Hebda INDEX for Native Plants This text was originally published in Coastal Grower (formerly The Island Grower) in Victoria, British Columbia. For subscription information, please call Susanne Steele at the Coastal Grower at 250-478-0825. British Columbia is home to beautiful wildflowers that form spectacular coloured meadows. Several species of the distinctive shooting stars (Dodecatheon) decorate many of our meadows both on the coast and in the interior. Among them, Henderson's shooting star is attractive, performs well in gardens and can be used to restore natural meadows. Shooting stars are perennial herbs that grow from a tufted rosette of basal leaves. Beneath the leaf mass are short thickened tubers that extend into thin roots. The fleshy leaves of Henderson's shooting star are somewhat rounded and have no teeth. Those of some species, such as few-flowered shooting star (Dodecatheon pulchellum) have long strap-shaped leaves. Blooms are borne in sparse clusters at the end of medium tall (30-40 cm) stems. The flowers perch upon stalklets all attached to a single point at the stem's summit. At first the flowers point downward, but with age they turn upward as if to greet the sun. The flowers have a most fascinating form, closely resembling that of their cousins in the Primrose Family (Primulaceae), the cyclamens. The five rose purple petals fuse together at the base into a whitish cup. From the edge of the cup, the strap-shaped petals sweep back like the tail of a comet, giving the effect of a star plummeting to earth. Look closely and you will see that the top of the ovary pokes out from the cup. Four or five stamens form a tight beak-like cluster around a long thin style. The flower has a gently spicy perfume, with an exotic edge to it. Flowers normally appear in late April and early May. When they fade, the ovary swells into a seed-bearing capsule from which the tiny seeds shake out during the dry summer months. This shooting star occurs in low elevation meadows and open woodlands. It grows especially abundantly among the open rocky knolls of south east Vancouver Island. Breathtaking colonies spread through the grass ground cover of some Garry oak stands. In British Columbia you will find this species only on the warm east side of Vancouver Island. The geographic range extends along the east side of the Cascade mountains, south to California where the species thrives in great abundance. Shooting stars are an excellent native substitute for their largely non-native cousins, the primroses (Primula spp.). The species you choose to grow depends on garden site conditions. Certain species prefer moist settings whereas others, notably Henderson's shooting star, revel under dry conditions. Choose a sunny open spot in the garden with at least 10 cm of humus-rich soil. Plant with the crown just below the surface; you may want to cover it with a bit of organic litter or moss. Once established, the crown will divide many times over and develop into a relatively dense clump producing many flower stems. Clumps can be divided in the fall before the rains start. Dig out the mass of crowns and roots and gently pull apart the crowns and replant them separately. To establish shooting star in a meadow, plant it in the fall in loose mossy turf. Prevent grasses from forming an impenetrable thatch and choking out the crown. Try shooting stars first where the grass grows poorly during summer drought. A site with shallow soil over bedrock or gravel is best. Do not water. This species is strongly drought resistant. Have your garden centre order shooting stars from a specialist nursery. Do not dig up these wildflowers, or any wildflowers for that matter, in the wild. Gather seed in the summer and fall and sow immediately on a sandy peat soil, covering lightly with peat and aquarium grit. Leave plants to germinate over the winter and then develop until the dormant season before planting into larger pots. The name Dodecatheon has its roots in the Greek words twelve (dodeka) and gods (theos). Pliny gave this name to a spring flower, thought to be the primrose, which was under the protection of the twelve principal gods. For more information on wildplants, contact the Royal British Columbia Museum. |
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