# Western Starflower (*Lysimachia latifolia*) The Western Starflower is a pretty flower with bright yellow petals that look like stars! It grows in fields and meadows, making them look cheerful and colorful. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 23 - **Habitat:** Meadows ![Western Starflower](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Western_Star_Flower.jpg&width=800) Photo: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Western_Star_Flower.jpg) ## Appearance The Western Starflower has bright yellow, star-shaped flowers, often dotted with tiny red specks in the center. Its lance-shaped leaves grow on upright stems, creating a lovely green backdrop for the blooms, making it visually distinct from many woodland plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Primulaceae - **Genus:** Lysimachia ## Interesting facts - Each star-shaped flower has five perfect petals, symmetrical like a superhero's emblem! - Its name comes from a king who used it to calm rowdy oxen! Wow! - Its tiny seeds are often carried by wind or water, finding new spots to grow! - These cheerful yellow flowers are a sunny sign that warm summer days are here! ## Special abilities - **Nectar Guides:** Western Starflower has tiny red dots on its petals that act like landing strips, guiding busy bees straight to its sweet nectar! - **Root Spreader:** Western Starflower can spread underground with special roots, helping it colonize new areas and create patches of sunny yellow blooms. - **Sun Seeker:** The Western Starflower's leaves are positioned to capture as much sunlight as possible, powering its growth and vibrant flowers. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-90 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late Spring to Mid-Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** Western Bumblebee (*Bombus occidentalis*) — seeks nectar and pollen - **Eaten by:** [Mule deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — may browse its leaves ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't pick flowers without asking an adult first, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Western Starflower? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Western Starflower? 30-90 cm ### How wide does Western Starflower spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on Western Starflower? 1-2 cm ### When does Western Starflower bloom? Late Spring to Mid-Summer ### Is Western Starflower edible? No ### Is Western Starflower toxic? None ### What is Western Starflower's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Lower Cushman Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-cushman-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [Englishman River Falls Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/englishman-river-falls-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Arcata Community Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arcata-community-forest) — California, US · Forest - [Dunsmuir Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dunsmuir-botanical-gardens) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [El Sereno Open Space](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/el-sereno-open-space) — California, US · Park - [Empire Mine State Historic Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/empire-mine-state-historic-park) — California, US · State Park [View all places to see Western Starflower](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/western-starflower) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Western Starflower: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-starflower)