Dodecatheon pulchellum subsp. pulchellum Red Wings

Dodecatheon pulchellum 'Red Wings' is a variety of vigorous shooting star, very beautifully coloured and easier to grow than its cousin the Virginia shooting star. This small perennial develops a rosette of oval leaves in spring, from which emerge umbels of about fifteen flowers of a dark magenta pink resembling mini cyclamen. Its foliage completely disappears from August. You plant this Dodecatheon at the foot of trees, in a raised border or in a semi-shaded rockery, with other acid, humus-rich and well-drained perennials.

Dodecatheon pulchellum 'Red Wings' belongs to the primrose family, it is a cousin of primroses. Its wild ancestor, called Pretty Shooting Star by Americans, is native to the western United States, where it is found in wet to drier environments. Its range extends from Nebraska (from plains to mountains) to Canada. It is a hardy plant (-15 °C) that requires a neutral to acidic (non-calcareous), moist soil in spring. This species likes the sun in our cool regions, but prefers partial shade in warmer climates. Very beautiful and relatively easy to grow for a Dodecatheon, this plant has won the famous A.G.M from the R.H.S, the "Gold Medal" of the plant world. 

Dodecatheon pulchellum 'Red Wings' is a perennial herbaceous plant that forms a rosette of oblong to lanceolate, slightly soft, light green leaves from spring, measuring up to 15cm (6in) long. Flowering occurs between April and late June, depending on the climate. Rosettes emerge from unbranched, leafless flower stems, reaching 30 to 40cm (12 to 16in) in height. Each flower stem carries up to 25 flowers at its tip. These flowers, 1.5 to 2cm (1in) long, are a bright magenta pink, adorned with a yellow-orange ring at the base, with a dark violet throat. Their petals completely turned back reveal prominent stamens. Less than 5 months elapse between the appearance of foliage and entry into dormancy in summer.

Shootingg stars are perennials mainly native to the moist understorey of North America, they appreciate moisture in spring but require drier soil in summer, therefore well-drained. Do not disturb Dodecatheon, but also remember that they are there, dormant underground. Due to their early disappearance, we plant them together with low ground covers, such as Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, to prevent the soil from remaining bare for a long period. In cool rockeries or borders, in flower beds, also consider pairing them with denticulate primroses 'Cashmiriana', lungworts, and many bulbs: tulips, daffodils, Corydalis solida, Erythronium, etc.