Shooting Stars
While on a hike on the back side of Tod Mountain in July, early wildflowers were out including whole hillsides of shooting stars. These are a perennial with purple-lavender flowers over a rosette of leaves. They bloom in lower elevations earlier, but in open alpine meadows while the ground is still wet.
First Nations peoples used this plant as an eyewash. This member of the primrose family can be grown from seed in the garden, although it has a short blooming period. We prefer it in the alpine where alpine flowers have evolved into one of nature's finest shows.