Dodecatheon Meadia Red

This red-flowered strain of the eastern shooting star, now botanically Primula meadia, produces neat rosettes of smooth leaves and upright spring stems topped by reflexed blooms in deep rose, crimson or red-purple. The swept-back petals and pointed dark centre give each flower the appearance of a tiny shooting star. Native to prairies, glades and open woodland in eastern North America, the plant grows during the cool moist spring and then retreats into summer dormancy. It is a beautiful companion for small ferns, spring bulbs and low woodland perennials in humus-rich soil.