Primula meadia is a wildflower native to the eastern United States that grows in environments ranging from damp grassland prairies to high-altitude mountain meadows. This member of the primrose family (Primulaceae) has several different common names, including shooting star, American cowslip, and pride of Ohio. The flower has five petals that curve upward, and a cluster of yellow stamens that come to a point.

This unique flower shape gives the appearance of a shooting star falling toward the earth. In Greek, the previous genus name Dodecatheon means "the twelve gods," a compliment to the grandeur of the Pantheon. DNA analysis has moved it to the genus Primula.