Golden Alexanders.
An adaptable native perennial that brings cheerful yellow blooms to spring and early summer gardens. Its bright, flat-topped clusters of golden flowers resemble those of dill or parsley and rise above attractive, glossy green, divided foliage. Blooming from May to June, Golden Alexanders provide an important early nectar source for native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Reaching 1 to 3 feet in height and spreading 1 to 2 feet wide, Zizia aurea thrives in full sun to partial shade and tolerates a range of soil types, from moist to moderately dry. It’s a host plant for the Black Swallowtail butterfly and is deer-resistant, making it an ecologically valuable choice for naturalized plantings, prairie gardens, rain gardens, and woodland edges.
