White Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon meadia)White shooting star is native to much of the eastern United States and typically grows in open woods and glades, rocky wooded slopes, bluff ledges, meadows, and prairies. Each plant produces 1 to 4 flowering stems, each bearing blooms with five swept-back petals and a central cluster of yellow stamens (the pollen producing part of the flower) that converge to a point—giving the flower the appearance of a shooting star plummeting to earth. Flower colors vary from white to pink to light purple. It blooms in late spring and goes dormant by summer. While it tolerates some shade, it prefers some sun and well-drained soil.
Shooting star does not have any widespread use historically by Native Americans, although there are reports that it was used by some groups to treat occular and dental conditions.