Zizia aurea

Sizes available: HPP 2.5x2.5x3.5 inches

Basics: zones 3-8, 24-36" x 12-24", full sun to light shade, The umbel of yellow florets blooms in late spring to early summer, adaptable as to soil moisture except extreme wet or dry, and somewhat drought tolerant

Common names: Golden Alexanders

Family: Apiaceae

Origin/Distribution: The native distribution is Quebec to Saskatchewan down into parts of Montana and south to New England, Florida, and Texas.

Habitat: open woods, moist prairies, and thickets

More: This is a host plant for the Black Swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes asterius. The females of the mining bee Andrena ziziae, which is native to Maine, only eat Zizia aurea pollen. This is one of the first plants to wake up on the nursery benches in the spring, which means it's one tough cookie, but it takes awhile to settle into the garden. It is a good source of nectar for short-tongued insects in particular. In your drier spots you are better off trying Zizia aptera, a North American relative that is not native to Maine.

Nursery: seed grown by Honey Petal Plants

Image credits: close up of flower head Frank Meuschke of Shelterwood Gardens; also Wikimedia Commons