Zizia aurea (Golden zizia)

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Zizia aurea (L.) W.D.J. Koch

Golden zizia, golden Alexander, golden Alexanders

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Apiales	Includes carrots, celery, parsley, and ivy
Family	Apiaceae	Carrot or parsley family, also includes angelica, anise, caraway, celery, chervil, cicely, coriander/cilantro, cumin, dill, fennel, hemlock, lovage, Queen Anne’s Lace, parsnip
Genus	Zizia	Named for German botanist Johann Baptist Ziz (1779–1829)
Species	aurea	Latin for “golden”

About plant names...

Golden alexanders are North American natives.

Plants: Up to 18-36" (45-91 cm) in height.

Leaves: Lower leaves are divided into threes; upper leaves in two. Leaves are up to 2½" (7 cm) long and ⅞" (2.5 cm) wide, with toothed edges.

Flowers: Flowerheads have the overall shape of a gently curved umbrella, divided into smaller groups (parasols?). The smaller groups approximately 25 tiny yellow flowers, each less than ⅛" (3.2 mm) across, each with five petals.

Fruits: The dried seedheads become purple.

Here are two golden alexanders:

5/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 15 cm)

5/7/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 14 cm)

	*Zizia aptera*	You are here Zizia aurea
Common Name	heart-leaved golden alexander	golden zizia
Plant	12-30" (30-76 cm) high.	18-36" (45-91 cm) high.
Flowers	Umbrella-shaped cluster about 2-3" (5-7.6 cm) across, split into smaller groups of tiny yellow flowers, about 25 per group.	Umbrella-shaped cluster about 2" (5 cm) across, split into smaller groups of tiny yellow flowers, about 25 per group.
Leaves	Lower leaves are heart-shaped. Up to 4" (10 cm) long × 3" (7.6 cm) wide.	Lower leaves divided into threes, upper leaves in two. Up to 2½" (6.3 cm) long × 2½" (6.3 cm) wide.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 3-8	USDA Zones: 3-8
Habitats	Black soil prairies, hillside prairies, rocky upland woodlands, limestone glades, bluffs, abandoned fields, and roadsides	Prairies, glades, open woods, fields, thickets
Type	Wild	Wild

Edibility: Not edible. Caution: the flowerheads of these plants resemble those of water hemlock (Cicuta maculata), which is extremely poisonous Skull & Crossbones . Water hemlock flowers are white, while zizias are yellow.

Online References:

Missouriplants.com

Illinois Wildflowers

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The Missouri Botanical Garden

Missouriplants.com

5/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 11 × 9" (28 × 23 cm)

Zizia aurea description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Sep 2020.

5/27/2016 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts

Range: Zones 3-8:

About this map...