Flower profile

Eastern shooting star

Primula meadia

Eastern shooting star (Primula meadia) is a flowering plant in the Primulaceae family, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

Eastern shooting star is a flowering plant. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

–states where USDA records it

3Bloomipedia state lists include it

11,768U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin

Quick look

Primula meadia, known by the common names shooting star, eastern shooting star, American cowslip, roosterheads, and prairie pointers is a species of flowering plant in the primula family Primulaceae. Also, the plant belongs to a group of herbaceous perennials.
From Wikipedia's article Primula meadia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Primulaceae family. ^iNaturalist
NatureServe lists it as native to Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri. ^NatureServe
In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
In Wisconsin, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,891 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #30 among the 180 flowers on our Illinois list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,372 research-grade sightings of it in Wisconsin, ranking #53 among the 161 flowers on our Wisconsin list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 726 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #94 among the 177 flowers on our Missouri list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,009 records)

Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Illinois	Native	April–May	3,891
Wisconsin	Native	May–June	2,372
Missouri	Native	April–May	726

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Illinois: Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Illinois. ^{IL E&T checklist 2025}
Wisconsin: Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. ^{NR 27.03}
Missouri: Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. ^{3 CSR 10-4.111}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DC (SH), FL (S1), LA (S2), MI (S1), MN (S1), MS (S2), NC (S2), NY (SX), PA (S1), SC (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Primula vulgaris (“Primrose”), as toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.