Summary ⁷

Zizia aurea (golden Alexander, golden zizia, meadow parsnip) is a flowering perennial forb of the carrot family (Apiaceae). It is hardy in USDA zones 4-9. It can be found from New Brunswick to Saskatchewan in Canada, south to Florida and Texas in the United States.

Description ⁷

Zizia aurea ranges in height from 40 to 75 centimetres (16 to 30 in) tall but can sometimes grow taller. The leaves can grow up to 8 cm (3.25 in) long and 5 cm (2 in) wide.The leaves are attached to the stems alternately. Each leaf is compound and odd-pinnate, with leaflets that are normally lanceolate or ovate and have serrated edges. The root system consists of a dense cluster of coarse fibrous roots. It blooms from May to June. Its flowers are yellow and grow in a flat-topped umbel at the top of the plant.

Distribution and Habitat ⁷

Golden Alexander is native to the United States and Canada. It grows from New Brunswick to Saskatchewan, south to Florida and Texas, and west to Montana. It is found in a broad variety of habitats, such as moist black soil prairies, openings in moist to mesic woodlands, savannas, thickets, limestone glades and bluffs, power line clearings in woodland areas, abandoned fields, and wet meadows. It can tolerate dry summers even though it prefers wet habitats. It is hardy in USDAzones 4–9.

Ecology/Wildlife Use ⁷

Golden Alexander is a host plant for the caterpillars of the black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius) and Ozark swallowtail (Papilio joanae) butterflies. Females of the mining bee species Andrena ziziae are oligolectic on Zizia aurea—they eat only its pollen. Dozens of species of bees, flies, wasps, butterflies, and other insects visit the flowers of Zizia aurea for its nectar.

Growing Golden Alexanders ⁸

Golden Alexander is an upland herb that thrive in moist (not wet) soils, in part shade to full sun. They are commonly found in prairies, meadows, wetland margins, streambanks, and moist woodlands. It will germinate readily on rich, moist soils when given full sun. Seeds may not germinate outside of these conditions, but full grown plants can thrive when planted in light shade.

Read More ⁹

• http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g710
• https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/gld_alexanderx.htm
• https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ZIAU
• https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/golden-alexanders

Sources and Credits

1. no rights reserved, uploaded by Kent McFarland
2. (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://eol.org/media/6704496
3. (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://eol.org/media/6704498
4. (c) Joshua Mayer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/wackybadger/22541496367/
5. (c) Lee Elliott, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Lee Elliott
6. (c) Ram-Man, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Alexanders_Zizia_aurea_Plant_2000px.JPG
7. Adapted by Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zizia_aurea
8. Adapted by Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division from a work by (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/1425433
9. (c) Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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