Flower profile
Henderson's shooting star
Primula hendersonii
Henderson's shooting star (Primula hendersonii) is a flowering plant in the Primulaceae family, blooming mostly February–April across the U.S.
Henderson's shooting star is a flowering plant. In California it's most often seen in bloom in February–April.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Primula hendersonii is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to western North America, from California north to southern British Columbia and Idaho. Common names include broad-leaved shooting star, Henderson's shooting star, mosquito bills, and sailor caps.
- It belongs to the Primulaceae family. iNaturalist
- NatureServe lists it as native to California. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 11,486 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #79 among the 178 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in February–April.
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
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. 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.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.
Names, range and relatives
Other Primula on Bloomipedia (3): Eastern shooting star, Dark-throated shooting star, Parry's primrose.
More from the Primulaceae family (14 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Scarlet pimpernel, Northern starflower, Western starflower, Creeping jenny, Fringed loosestrife, Whorled loosestrife, Swamp candles, Coralberry.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
- iNaturalist, Primula hendersonii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Primula hendersonii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Primula hendersonii (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Anne Parsons via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.