Golden Alexanders

Perennial  •  $6, 4-inch pot

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Height	2 to 3 ft
Spacing	1 to 2 ft
Sun Exposure	Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Moisture	Medium
Bloom Color	Yellow
Bloom Time	April, May
Companion Plantings	Red Columbine, Eastern Bluestar, Spiderwort
Special Attributes

Zizia aurea

This early-blooming member of the Carrot family (Apiaceae) is important for many small pollinators, such as short-tongued bees, many beneficial wasps, flies, and even beetles, which can have difficulty finding a reliable nectar source so early in the growing season. Like many other members in this family, it is host to the Black Swallowtail butterfly (pictured as a caterpillar), although it is otherwise not a significant host plant.

Zizia aurea is a low-maintenance plant that grows and blooms quickly from seed, although it is somewhat short-lived. It will allegedly self-sow in the garden, but has been finicky in our attempts at propagating from seed; we have had the most luck sowing fresh seed outdoors in the fall. Golden Alexanders is tolerant of many garden conditions, from light shade to full sun, and clay or even rocky soil. This is an excellent choice in a nursery trade sometimes dominated by summer and fall blooming species.

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