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Golden Alexander
Zizia aurea

This late-spring wildflower is a native, perennial herb usually 1-3' tall. Used in soil stabilization of shores, vegetated swales, buffers and slopes. It is recommended this species be used for restorations of low prairies, calcareous fens, streams banks and other wet, open places.

USDA symbol: ZIAU

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height3 feet
Light ExposureSun, Part Sun
Soil MoistureDry, Medium
Bloom ColorYellow
Golden Alexander (Golden Alexander<div><em class="small">Zizia aurea</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Native Landscapes (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceModerate
General Resilience9
Salt ToleranceMedium
Stress ToleranceGeneral Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsMay to July
Larval Host ofBees, Butterflies
Specific Pollinators HostedAndrena vernalis, Andrena ziziae, Hylaeus sparsus, Papaipema rigida, Papilio polyxenes
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Stem Nesting, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project TypeBoulevard, Erosion Control, Rain Garden, Restoration, Sandy or Engineered Soils, Shoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism6
Herbivore SensitivityLow
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadMedium
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionAbsent

Range

CountyAnoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac qui Parle, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Roseau, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands