code: 902
It has five reflexed sepals in shades of magenta or white
Family: PRIMULACEAE
Common name: MOUNTAIN SHOOTING STARS, BONNEVILLE SHOOTING STAR
Plant Classification: Hardy perennial
Minimum Height: 10 cm
Maximum Height: 25 cm
Packet Content(approx.): 20+
In mid spring, the “Bonneville shooting star” erects slim, tall stems which are dark in colour and topped with up to seven showy flowers, each one nodding with its mouth pointed to the ground when new, and becoming more erect as it ages. It has five reflexed sepals in shades of magenta or white, which lie back against the flower’s body, and at the sepal bases is a ring of bright yellow. From the corolla mouth protrude large dark red or black anthers surrounding a thread-like pink stigma. This unusual flower is native to western North America from California to Saskatchewan where it grows in seasonally wet areas.
Sowing advice:
Seeds can be sown at any time but are best sown in winter or early spring to benefit from a cold spell in the wet compost to break their dormancy. We advise covering seeds very thinly with sand or fine grit to about the depth of the seed size. If the seeds do not come up within 6 to 12 weeks the damp seed tray can be given cold treatment in a fridge for about four weeks. They may still take very many months to appear, so please never discard the pot or tray.
Cultivation:
The perennial wildflower is native to western North America from northeastern California, the Great Basin, and Pacific Northwest; east to Wyoming and Montana (U.S.) and across western Canada to Saskatchewan.
It grows in seasonally wet areas of habitats including: sagebrush steppe and sagebrush scrub, yellow pine forest, wetland-riparian zones, and moist slopes and meadows of mountains. It is found at elevations of 200–1,900 metres (660–6,230 ft).
