Shooting Star is a perennial grown for its white blooms, which open in spring and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 4 through 10. Its spring flowers are a real draw for native bees.
Zones
4-10
pH Range
4.5-7.5
Sun
Shade
Days to Maturity
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Score Shooting Star on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether shooting star actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score shooting star against your land's real conditions.
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What Shooting Star is
Shooting Star grows as a perennial. It blooms white in spring.
How to grow Shooting Star
Shooting Star grows in USDA zones 4 through 10. Shooting Star does best in shade — at least 2 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 7.5. It needs a growing season of at least 120 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
4-10
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.5 - 7.5
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Shade
plant_species_v5.csv
Drainage
Data pending
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost Tolerance
-38°F
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost-Free Days
120+
plant_species_v5.csv
Start the season right
Plant shooting star in shade with at least 2 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Shooting Star prefers pH 4.5 to 7.5 (USDA PLANTS Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Harvest at its peak
Cut shooting star blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — shooting star isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Shooting Star is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership.)
Where Shooting Star thrives
Shooting Star is hardy across USDA zones 4 through 10. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 4–10·Where Shooting Star growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Shooting Star can grow in these states:
See if Shooting Star will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether shooting star actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Shooting Star in my zone?
Shooting Star grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 10 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Shooting Star?
Most growers plant shooting star after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 120-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Shooting Star need?
Shooting Star is shade-tolerant — it gets by on as little as 2 hours of direct sun, so it earns a place most vegetables can't use. A north-facing strip or the ground under a leafy canopy is right where it belongs. A Growable Ground report shows which corners of your land stay shaded through the day, turning those dim spots into planting spots.
What soil does Shooting Star need?
Shooting Star prefers soil pH 4.5 to 7.5 (USDA PLANTS Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Shooting Star attract pollinators?
Yes — shooting star's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for native bees (Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership).
Is Shooting Star safe for pets?
Shooting Star is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data (ASPCA). Always supervise pets around new plantings.