Digging deeperPlant Library

Other Names:  Giant Shooting Star

Description:

Amazing dark-pink and yellow flowers that resemble a shooting star or a rocket; the flower is larger than the species; great for moist, well-drained sites but very adaptable to other sites.

Ornamental Features

Aphrodite Shooting Star features showy nodding fuchsia recurved flowers with yellow centers at the ends of the stems from late spring to early summer. Its narrow leaves remain light green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Aphrodite Shooting Star is an herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Aphrodite Shooting Star is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Aphrodite Shooting Star will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen! As this plant tends to go dormant in summer, it is best interplanted with late-season bloomers to hide the dying foliage.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.