Golden Alexander
By Lise Fracalossi
Zizia aurea
Native to: All of New England
Life cycle: Perennial
Light: Full/Partial Sun
Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet to Medium-Dry
Height: 1-3’
Spread: 10-14”
Spacing: 1-2’
Blooms: April-June
Bloom Color: Yellow
Natural Habitat: Wet meadows and thickets
Pairs Well With: Butterfly milkweed, foxglove beardtongue, sundial lupine, black-eyed coneflower, foxglove beardtongue, flax-leaved aster, and little bluestem
Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Deer Resistant, Bird Favorite, Host Plant (eg. Black Swallowtail), Low Maintenance
“Golden alexanders are a showy addition to a moist meadow, pond’s edge, or garden. In late May, the bright yellow Queen Anne’s lace-like flowers shine in the landscape, and the dark green foliage is divided into three distinct parts. Host plant for black swallowtail butterflies.”
–Wild Seed Project
“Zizia aurea is one of those natives that every garden should have. It is fairly easy to grow and, although short-lived, will self-seed and persist in many sun/soil situations. Zizia is an important plant to a number of short-tongued insects that are able to easily reach the nectar in the small yellow flowers.”
–Prairie Moon Nursery

Zizia aurea (Golden alexanders)
Photo (and featured image) by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) - Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 2.5