prairie wildflower
Yellow star grass
Hypoxis hirsuta
Also known as Common Goldstar, Yellow Star-grass, Eastern Yellow Star-grass
1 of 3Native to much of the USA and southern Canada
Southern Maine to Florida, west to Manitoba, eastern Colorado and eastern Texas
- Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
- Moisture Dry Moisture preference
- Zones 3–9 Cold to heat range
- Bloom Apr–Jul Flowering time
- Height up to 10 in to 25 cm
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A prairie wildflower for sun through shade and lean, dry soil. Its yellow flowers peak in May. At up to 10 in, it tucks into meadows and sunny borders. Hardy in USDA zones 3–9.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
When it blooms
The Yellow star grass's yellow flowers bloom April to July, peaking in May. This late-spring display draws bees and flower flies.
Yellow star grass blooms yellowFoliage
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Ligated Furrow Bee
also Carlin's Mining Bee, Bristle Sweat Bee, Rugose-chested Sweat Bee +15 more
Cherry Mining Bee, Agile Longhorn Bee, Ceratina dupla, Cresson's Sweat Bee, Colletes nudus, Experienced Sweat Bee, Anomalous Metallic Sweat Bee, Maine Blueberry Bee, Beardtongue scraper bee, Colourful Willow Miner Bee, Pseudopanurgus labrosiformis, Andrena miserabilis, Augochlorella persimilis, Osmia illinoensis, Lasioglossum tegulare - Flower flies Margined Calligrapher
also Eastern Calligrapher, Yellow-shouldered Drone Fly, Eastern Hornet Fly +4 more
American Snout Fly, Volucella bombylans, Dusky-banded Leafwalker, Sphaerophoria cylindricus - Beetles Slender Flower Longhorn Beetle
also Acmaeodera tubulus, Mournful Long-horned Beetle, Pseudotolida lutea +1 more
Downy Long-horned Beetle - Also visited by
- Moths: Acontia candefacta
Butterflies that use this plant
Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.
- American snoutnectar
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- PrairieThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (39): AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV. Canada (1): ON. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Southern Maine to Florida, west to Manitoba, eastern Colorado and eastern TexasThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sun to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- DryThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 3–9 · Canadian 4–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Rich, acid loamThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil pH
- 5.2–7.3The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Soil quality
- MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
- Water use
- MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
- Salinity tolerance
- NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
- Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
- MediumHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 10 in (to 25 cm)Typical mature height.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- ErectIts overall silhouette.
- Root depth
- 7+ in (18+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Apr–JulWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- YellowThe bloom color, or colors.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- Corm, seedHow to start new plants.
- Seed spread rate
- SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
- Seedling vigor
- MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
- Vegetative spread
- SlowWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.