Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
- Plant Type
- Forb (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Herbaceous
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun
- Moisture
- 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt, Organic / Peat, Calcareous
- Bloom
- April, May, June
- Sociability
- S2 – Small groups
Pollinator Value
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5) and secure in both Ontario (S5) and Quebec (S5). Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC (S26). Despite provincial security, the species is considered Rare in the Ottawa-Hull region (S63) and has a restricted distribution in Ottawa with only 3 documented sites (S62), indicating local scarcity at the northern edge of its core range.
- Rarity Ranks
- QC S5 – Secure, ON S5 – Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Zizia aurea occupies moist meadows, fens, sedge meadows, and open floodplain forests across the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence lowlands. In Michigan it is common in swamps, low woodlands, and wet prairies (S7). Quebec herbarium specimens document it in sugar maple understory and along the St. Lawrence corridor (S54). Listed as Rare in the Ottawa-Hull flora (S63), with only 3 sites in Ottawa proper (S62), suggesting locally uncommon despite broad provincial security.
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
- Notes
- PFAF recommends Zizia for woodland garden sunny edges and food forest plantings (S29). Its early bloom (Apr-Jun) fills a critical pollinator gap before most summer-flowering perennials, making it valuable paired with later-blooming prairie species. The flat-topped umbels support short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, and beetles (S61), serving as a biological control attractor.
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Analgesic, Febrifuge, Vulnerary, Hypnotic
S28 Meskwaki Drug=Analgesic+Febrifuge; S29 Febrifuge, Vulnerary, Hypnotic
- Notes
- The Meskwaki used a compound containing flower stalks as snuff for sick headache (analgesic) and the root for fevers (febrifuge) (S28). PFAF reports root tea as febrifuge, with the root also believed to be vulnerary and hypnotic (S29). Health Canada NHPID lists Zizia aurea as a homeopathic substance prepared from the root (S36).
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →❌ Not Edible
- Foraging Notes
- PFAF rates edibility 2/5. Flowers with main stem removed can be added to tossed green salads or cooked like broccoli (S29). However, Moerman (S28) records no food use among Indigenous peoples, and OWSL (S3) flags the plant as toxic to mammals if ingested. Caution is warranted given the Apiaceae family includes deadly look-alikes.
Seed Source
- Localeaf / Akene