Common Golden-Alexanders

Zizia aurea

Found in moist forests, forested floodplains, moist prairies, and shady roadsides. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

52

Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height: 1–2 feet
Spread: 1–2 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 1.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 44 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Zizia aurea — bloom photograph — Kristi Zoebelein · CC0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: Spring and summer
Fruiting season: June to July

Recorded in 58 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 4

Shortia beneath rhododendrons in mountain woodland — Regional / representative. Shown: Mountains of North and South Carolina; exact site not identified, a neighboring state.Shortia beneath rhododendrons in mountain woodland, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Barrens native plants returning after prescribed fire, September 2020 — Barrens grassland after a prescribed fire. Shown: Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, a neighboring state.Barrens native plants returning after prescribed fire, September 2020, NPS Photo / Rick Olson, September 2020. Public domain. Source record.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 88 animals.

Common Yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Screech-owl
Megascops asio
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eurasian Collared-dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Birds. 1 shared habitat
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Gadwall
Anas strepera
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Green Heron
Butorides virescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hairy Woodpecker
Picoides villosus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Kentucky Warbler
Oporornis formosus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Least Bittern
Ixobrychus exilis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Louisiana Waterthrush
Seiurus motacilla
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

4CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Zizia

Papilio polyxenesBlack Swallowtail
Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
Agonopterix clemensella
Epermenia pimpinella

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

10BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Zizia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Zizia

Andrena ziziae

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Beetles 7

Acmaeops nigripennis
Centrinites strigicollis
Centrinus picumnus
Coccinella sanguinea
Diabrotica 12-punctata
Hister americanus
Onthophagus pennsylvanicus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 37

Agromyza aeneoventris
Aldrichia ehrmanii
Bibio albipennis
Calythea albicincta
Ceratomyiella conica
Chilosia petulca
Chlorops assimilis
Chlorops proxima
Chlorops pulverea
Cistogaster occidua

Show all 37

Coenosia lacteipennis
Empis distans
Empis loripedis
Eristalis latifrons
Helophilus latifrons
Hippelates plebejus
Lucilia sylvarum
Meromyza americana
Morellia micans
Nemotelus glaber
Phorantha magna
Phorantha purpurascens
Phorbia cinerella
Phormia regina
Rivellia pallida
Sarcophaga sinuata
Sciara atrata
Sepsis violacea
Simulium pecuarum
Siphona geniculata
Siphonella cinerea
Sphaerophoria cylindrica
Sturmia nigrita
Syrphus ribesii
Tachina rustica
Trichopoda pennipes
Zodion fulvifrons

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 3

Heodes hypophlaeas
Phyciodes tharos
Plusia simplex

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 13

Ancistrocerus tigris
Anoplius illinoensis
Ectemnius atriceps
Eumenes fraternus
Leionotus clypeatus
Leionotus illinoensis
Leionotus megaera
Leionotus perennis
Leionotus scrophulariae
Leionotus vagus

Show all 13

Oxybelus 4-notatus
Polistes variatus
Tiphia clypeata

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other insects 2

Lygus pratensis
Plagiognathus obscurus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Apiaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–8b
Flower color: Yellow
Fruit begins: June
Fruit ends: July

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Spring and summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Flower color · “Yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Fruit begins · “June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; NC Extension Plant Toolbox differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “July” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; NC Extension Plant Toolbox differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “1–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
primary_flower_color · “yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Spread · “1–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Common Golden Alexanders; Golden Alexanders; Golden Zizia

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S4
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Growing cautions

Spreads. Will naturalize. Tennessee Smart Yards

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources