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Taxon  Report  
Primula jeffreyi  (Van Houtte) Mast & Reveal
Sierra shooting star
Primula jeffreyi is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Genus: Primula
Family: Primulaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Toxicity: Possible skin irritation from touching any part of this plant.

Wetlands: Occurs usually in wetlands, occasionally in non wetlands

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest, Subalpine Forest, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF

Alternate Names:
JEFDodecatheon jeffreyi f. pygmaeum
JEFDodecatheon jeffreyi ssp. jeffreyi
JEFDodecatheon jeffreyi ssp. pygmaeum
JEFDodecatheon jeffreyi
Information about  Primula jeffreyi from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

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ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Range, Description: Primula jeffreyi, synonym Dodecatheon jeffreyi,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family known by the common names Sierra shooting star, Jeffrey's shooting star, and tall mountain shooting star. This wildflower is native to western North America from California to Alaska to Montana, where it grows in mountain meadows and streambanks. This is a thick-rooted perennial with long, slightly wrinkled leaves around the base. It erects slim, tall, hairy stems which are dark in color and are topped with inflorescences of 3 to 18 showy flowers. Each flower nods, with its pointed center aimed at the ground when fresh, and becomes more erect with age. It has four or five reflexed sepals in shades of pink, lavender, or white which lie back against the body of the flower. Each sepal base has a blotch of bright yellow. From the corolla mouth protrude large dark anthers surrounding a threadlike stigma. The flowers of this species were considered good luck by the Nlaka'pamux people, who used them as amulets and love charms. The specific epithet jeffreyi is in honor of John Jeffrey. (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 03/29/2024).