Cranesbill,
star shower, diamond-sparks—these are all names for this plant. Can you
guess why? This plant, abundant during the days of prairie settlers, can
still be found in prairies and dry woods. It grows to 2 feet and sends
up flower-spikes in late spring. The nodding flowers have backward
pointing petals. Linnaeus, the first father of botany, gave the
shooting-star its scientific name, "Dodecatheon," Latin for twelve gods
