Did you transplant your shooting star from the wild?
Is your shooting star planted in partial shade?
Is your shooting star planted in well-drained soil?
Do you water your shooting star plants regularly during summer?
Do you fertilize your shooting star?
Do you keep your shooting star plant free of pests and diseases?
You shouldn't transplant shooting stars from native woodland areas. Excessive woodland harvesting in some areas has endangered native stands of a shooting star.
A site with the partial sun is ideal for shooting star plants. Because the plants are dormant in the summer, you can plant them under the high canopy of deciduous trees, which provide dappled light in the spring before leafing out to shade the resting phase of the plants.
Shooting star plants grow best in well-draining or sandy loam, although they will tolerate some clay soils. The plants do well in the leaf mold that accumulates under mature trees.
Since shooting star plant naturally dies back in summer, a drought at that time does not affect it but it does not need a completely dry dormant period like most of the western species. You can water it but more sparsely than during spring.
Shooting star plants don't need supplemental fertilizer. They are genetically programmed to thrive in native soils, unenriched by additional nitrogen. If your soil is especially poor, you can side-dress the plants with a shovelful of compost when they are actively growing.
Good job! You are taking good care of your shooting star.
Shooting star plants are seldom bothered by pests. Sometimes, small insects like aphids and spider mites can cause a problem but the infestations are usually light.
https://www.thespruce.com/shooting-star-plant-care-and-growing-guide-4683929
https://wimastergardener.org/article/shooting-star-dodecatheon-meadia/
https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/perennial/blazing-star/
Sreten null
Hi! I’m Sreten Filipović. I graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade, with a master's degree in Environmental Protection in Agricultural Systems. I’ve worked as a researcher at Finland's Natural Resources Institute (LUKE) on a project aimed at adapting south-western Finland to drought episodes. I founded a consulting agency in the field of environment and agriculture to help farmers who want to implement the principles of sustainability on their farms. I’m also a founding member of the nonprofit organization Ecogenesis from Belgrade whose main goal is non-formal education on the environment and ecology. In my spare time, I like to write blog posts about sustainability, the environment, animal farming, horticulture, and plant protection. I’ve also published several science-fiction short stories.
You can find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreten-filipovi%C4%87-515aa5158/
