Primula pauciflora
Beautiful shooting star, Beautiful Shooting Star
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Family: Primulaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Primula pauciflora (Beautiful shooting star) is a native California herb in the Primulaceae family, recognized by smooth anther connectives and 5-valved fruits diagnostic.
Beautiful shooting star is a rare (CNPS 4.2) California native perennial found in the northern California High Cascade Range and Great Basin regions in wet meadows at elevations of 1,200 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces magenta to lavender flowers with distinctive long petals and dark maroon to black flower centers. Growing with glabrous stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall, it forms compact clusters of 2 to 15 blooms. Its leaves are oblanceolate to ovate, measuring 4 to 25 centimeters long, with gradually narrowed bases and generally entire edges. The plant produces a 5-valved fruit and grows with remarkable color variation in its flower and flower center structures.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; smooth anther connectives and 5-valved fruits diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet meadows
Elevation: 1200-2200 m
Outside California: to Alaska, eastern United States, Mexico
Bloom period
Primula pauciflora blooms May-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.2
How to tell it apart
vs Lantana: Primula has backward-swept petals in umbrella-shaped clusters; Lantana has flat-faced flowers in dense rounded heads.; vs Pelargonium: Primula petals reflex dramatically backward with stamens forming a cone; Pelargonium petals spread forward with separate stamens.; vs Oenothera: Primula flowers have backward-swept petals in umbel clusters; Oenothera has bowl-shaped flowers opening singly or in spikes.; vs Cistanthe: Primula has backward-swept petals and cone-shaped stamens; Cistanthe has flat, rounded petals with separate stamens.; vs Kalanchoe: Primula is an herbaceous wildflower with reflexed petals; Kalanchoe is a succulent with tubular upright flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Primula pauciflora native to California?
Yes. Primula pauciflora is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Primula pauciflora bloom?
Primula pauciflora blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Primula pauciflora belong to?
Primula pauciflora is in the Primulaceae family, genus Primula.
Is Primula pauciflora rare or endangered?
Primula pauciflora carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.2, state rank S3.
What habitat does Primula pauciflora grow in?
Primula pauciflora grows in Wet meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.