Plant Profile: Zizia aptera

Heart-leaf Golden-Alexanders is a perennial herb that thrives in damp woodland environments, thickets, glades, prairies, and clearings. It can be found growing either alone or in small clusters.

What sets this variety apart from other members of the carrot family is the lack of a flower stalk on the central flower of each umbel. It is often mistaken for Zizia aurea, but its distinctive heart-shaped basal leaves clearly identify it.

Typically, a single plant can produce two or more clusters of flowers. These flat-topped clusters bloom from late spring to early summer atop the upper stems. Each umbel, which consists of flower stalks of equal length converging at a common center, measures 2 to 3 inches across and contains 7 to 15 smaller clusters, or umbellets, each with 10 to 20 tiny flowers. Each flower, measuring just 1/8 inch in diameter, features five petals that remain almost closed.

Various pollinators, including bees, butterflies, beetles, and other insects, are attracted to the nectar and pollen of these flowers. Additionally, the caterpillars of the black swallowtail butterfly feed on the plant's foliage.

However, the late summer leaves may show signs of wear, and this plant is known to have a relatively short lifespan.