Common name:
Padre's shooting star
Scientific name:
Dodecatheon clevelandii
Range:
California: south, central and low lying areas in the north
Habitat:
Grassland, foothills to 2,000 feet
Leaves:
Oblancelotate, with rounded tips; up to 7 inches long but can be much shorter. Fine teeth along the edges
Season:
February to April
The pretty flowers of dodecatheon clevelandii can be single, or part of a cluster of up to 18. Flower heads have five-fold symmetry; the five petals project upwards, back from the base, exposing a center of thick purple stamens and yellow-purple anthers. Petals are colored red-purple at the base, yellow above, white in the middle and pink towards the tips, which are pointed and wavy. Some specimens have all-white petal tips. Stems are covered by fine hairs. Leaves grow in a rosette at the base, from where the stout, unbranched stem rises about one foot.