Location: Meadows, Env Center, Four Rounds
In Bloom: May and June

Zizia aurea, or golden alexanders, is a small (2-to-3 foot tall) perennial which produces clusters of yellow flowers on the flat umbel-shaped seedheads typical of the carrot family (Apiaceae). Golden alexanders grow in small colonies, often along woodland edges and trails. The tiny flowers attract native bees and other short-tongued pollinators and two of the largest and most common butterflies found at Glenstone, the Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyrenes) and the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) lay their eggs on its leaves. If you look closely, you may find the golden alexanders mining bee (Andrena ziziae)—a bee that relies solely on Zizia aurea for its pollen.