Zizia aurea (Golden Alexanders)

Zizia aurea, commonly called Golden Alexander or Golden Zizia, is a short-lived, upright perennial wildflower that blooms over a short window of only a few weeks in the late spring. Typically growing one to three feet tall, Zizia aurea produces large golden-yellow umbels of small flowers which bloom around mid-May to the beginning of June. Flowers are attractive to a number of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, and through the hotter summer months, the flowers turn to dark purple seed heads, attracting birds and allowing for self-seeding reproduction.

With their relatively short height and short flowering window, Zizia aurea is best utilized in pollinator gardens among other flowers that will bloom through the rest of the season. Golden Alexander is partial to medium to wet soils and full or part sun conditions in a wide range of soils types, and is resistant to deer browsing, making them a great addition to any home garden.