Golden Alexander
Zizia aurea
Perennial flower
Flat yellow umbels — the shape of dill flowers but earlier and more compact — hovering above shiny divided leaves. Blooms in that awkward late-spring gap between the tulips and the peonies when the pollinators are hungry.
The spec sheet.
- Habitat
- Moist meadows, open woods, streambanks
- Bloom time
- April – June
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Rich, medium to moist
- Moisture
- Medium to moist
- Height
- 1–3 feet
What it attracts.
The species that visit, feed on, or depend on this plant — and how they use it.
Black Swallowtail
Larval host
Native alternative to dill/fennel/parsley — same butterfly, same caterpillars
Small native bees
Nectar source
Andrena, Halictus, Lasioglossum species
Predatory wasps
Nectar source
Beneficial flies
Nectar source
Self-sows freely if the soil is right. Semi-dormant by midsummer; interplant with something later so you don't stare at bare ground.
Xerces Society · Native Plant Society of NJ
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Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
The orange one. A dry-meadow milkweed with clusters of small vivid blooms that hold a huge diversity of pollinators through the hot months.…
- Type
- Perennial flower
- Bloom
- Jun–Aug
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Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
The classic pink-purple prairie daisy with a raised copper-brown center. Blooms for months in the height of summer and holds up in a vase or…
- Type
- Perennial flower
- Bloom
- Jun–Sep
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Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
The pink milkweed. A tidy, upright plant that stays where you plant it — no aggressive runners like Common Milkweed — with clusters of small…
- Type
- Perennial flower
- Bloom
- Jun–Aug