Dodecatheon frigidum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western arctic shootingstar |
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Dodecatheon
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D. frigidum
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| Dodecatheon frigidum Cham. & Schltdl.
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The western arctic shootingstar (scientific name: Dodecatheon frigidum) is a beautiful wild flower that grows in very cold, northern parts of the world. It gets its name "shootingstar" because its petals point backward, making the flower look like a tiny star shooting through the sky! This plant is found in the arctic and subarctic regions of northwestern North America and in parts of Russia.
Where Does This Plant Grow?
The western arctic shootingstar is quite common in many parts of Alaska. You can also find it in other cold northern places like Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and British Columbia in Canada. It even grows in northern Saskatchewan. Across the ocean, it lives on the Chukotsk Peninsula in the Russian Far East.
This plant usually grows in wet areas. You might spot it in bogs (wet, spongy ground), along the edges of lakes and rivers, or in damp meadows. It also likes heathcliff tundras, which are cold, treeless plains. Sometimes, you can find it growing where snow is melting, especially near permafrost, which is ground that stays frozen all year long.
What Does It Look Like?
The western arctic shootingstar is a type of plant that comes back every year. It can grow up to 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) tall. It spreads out using special underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes help the plant grow new shoots and spread across an area.
Each plant usually produces between two and seven flowers. These flowers are often pink or magenta in color, and they have a bright white center. This makes them stand out against the green plants around them.
