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Heart-leaved Golden Alexander
Zizia aptera

Heart-leaved Golden Alexander sports tufts of delicate yellow flowers that bloom early into the spring season. It is an important source of nectar for short-tongued insects that can easily reach into the flowers.

USDA symbol: ZIAP

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height3 feet
Light ExposureSun
Soil MoistureDry
Bloom ColorYellow
Heart-leaved Golden Alexander (Heart-leaved Golden Alexander<div><em class="small">Zizia aptera</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Wildflowers (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceHigh
General Resilience6
Salt ToleranceMedium
Stress ToleranceAlkaline Conditions, Drought Tolerant, General Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsMay to June
Larval Host ofBees
Specific Pollinators HostedAndrena vernalis, Andrena ziziae, Hylaeus sparsus
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Stem Nesting, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project TypeBoulevard, Rain Garden, Shoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism7
Herbivore SensitivityMedium
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadFast
Soil StabilizationDeep
Vegetative ReproductionAbsent

Range

CountyAnoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac qui Parle, Lake, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, 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