Friday, June 06, 2008

A Whiter Shade Of Pale

Another shooting star that is a real favorite here, is the alba form of our native Dodecatheon meadia (which around here is sometimes called the prairie shooting star, though it more often is found in open woodlands or savannas). Natural stands of shooting stars (which are heartbreakingly rare these days) have plants with flowers that range from lilac to white, so white forms are not rare. There are selected commercially available cultivars that include a reddish purple flower, and plants that are quite large and tall. As mentioned, I have several of these (like Aphrodite), but haven't had them long enough to see their full potential. Shooting stars "go ugly"; that is, when they are going dormant in summer's heat, they look pretty painful, so bigger isn't always better.
Posted by Picasa

// posted by IBOY @ 5:32 AM
Comments:
Don, I love these shooting star pics you're posting -- they're such beautys!
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : June 06, 2008
 
So, IVG; you're in Oakland. Did you find out where the Hayward Fault is before you moved in?? (I did my internship and medical residency at Highland Hospital).

:^) don
# posted by Blogger IBOY : June 06, 2008
 
Wow, I had no idea that shooting stars came in anything except the crimson of our natives here in Montana. I've got a couple in the garden; I'll try to get a post up in the next couple days.
--Kate
# posted by Blogger themanicgardener : June 06, 2008
 
Kate... what species... jeffreyi??
Don
# posted by Blogger IBOY : June 06, 2008
 
I think I have this in my garden in Iowa City. It bloomed on May 18. Is yours late or is mine a slightly different variety? The pictures are almost identical.
I posted a picture of mine on May 19. They certainly do not spread quickly.
# posted by Blogger philip Mears : June 06, 2008
 
Philip... mine is in a pretty shady spot. I'm just at the tail end of the shooting stars now.
don
# posted by Blogger IBOY : June 06, 2008
 
I had to have this one for my garden because it grew wild in the yard of my childhood home. Of course this year I noticed that one of the three is very pale lavender. Typical.
# posted by Blogger Mr. McGregor's Daughter : June 08, 2008
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?