States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaArkansasFloridaLouisianaMississippiVirginiaWest Virginia
Menu

Yellow Star-grass

Hypoxis hirsuta

Found in a wide variety of dry to moist forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

19
Modest

Native to Mississippi (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
3–10 inches
Spread
12–16 inches
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Dry to average

Space about 1 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 100 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
March to June
Fruiting season
May to July

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 25 Mississippi counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

0CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS
3BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Hypoxis

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Hypoxis

  • Ammospiza leconteiiLeConte's Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Beetles 1
  • Acmaeodera culta

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 1
  • Sphaerophoria cylindrica

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Hypoxidaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Yellow
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Single crown
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
May
Fruit ends
July

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Common Stargrass; Eastern Star Grass; Goldstar; Yellow Star Grass

Conservation status

Mississippi rankSNR
Global rankG5
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Sources