Golden Alexander — Zizia aurea

Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) is a standout GA native spring-blooming perennial with exceptional ecological value — a graceful herbaceous native with toothed compound basal foliage and thin stems bearing bright, cheerful flat-topped umbel clusters of vivid yellow flowers in late spring that provide a critical early-season nectar source for native bees and other pollinators, while also serving as a designated host plant for the Woodland Swallowtail butterfly, supporting butterfly reproduction in ways that few other garden plants can match. Native to Eastern North America and adapted to a wide range of conditions — from moist woodland edges to open meadows — Golden Alexander is an outstanding choice for rain gardens, native plantings, and naturalized borders where an ecologically important, low-maintenance native perennial is needed. Performs beautifully in full sun to part sun with average, well-drained soils. May self-seed freely in ideal conditions; site accordingly. Learn more about planting for butterflies with Georgia natives via the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division Butterfly Brochure. Hardy to Zone 3.

MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low Maintenance. No serious pests or diseases. Foliage may decline in harsh summers. Can self-seed aggressively in ideal conditions — deadhead after bloom to control.
LANDSCAPE USES: Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Gardens, Naturalized Areas, Wildlife Gardens, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS: Bee Balm, Butterfly Weed, Gloriosa Daisy

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.