• Photo of Zizia trifoliata (Zizia trifoliatas)

Plant Profile: Zizia trifoliata

Taxonomy: Zizia trifoliata

Names

Golden Alexander, Golden Alexanders, Meadow Alexanders, Meadow Parsnip, Mountain Golden Alexanders

  • Photo of Zizia trifoliata (Zizia trifoliatas)

Phonetic Spelling:ziz-EE-ah try-foh-lee-AY-tuh

Genus:Zizia

Species:trifoliata

Family:Apiaceae

Zizia trifoliata, commonly known as Meadows Alexander, is a plant species that thrives in the eastern regions of the United States, including states like Alabama, Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vancouver, and Wyoming. This plant prefers shaded environments and is typically found in mesic hardwood forests. In North Carolina, it is infrequently located along the coastal areas, primarily inhabiting sites with exceptionally fertile soil.

Wildlife Significance: The Zizia genus is known to support a specific type of bee, Andrena (Micrandrena) ziziae.

Preferred Habitat: It flourishes in moist forests, woodlands, and the edges of these woodland areas.

Zizia trifoliata Feature Summary

Zizia trifoliata Image Gallery

Tags

#wildlife plant
#native perennial
#nectar plant
#specialized bees
#herbaceous
#herbaceous perennial
#pollinator plant
#native wildflower
#larval host plant
#food source summer
#food source herbage
#coastal FAC
#native
#butterfly friendly
#FACU Piedmont Mountains
#pollinator garden
#bee friendly
#audubon
#black swallowtail butterfly

Similar Plants

Zizia trifoliata Feature Summary

Attributes
AL, AR, DC, FL, GA, KY, MD, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV
This plant supports Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) larvae which appear between April and October and have one to two flights in the north or three flights in the south. Adult Black Swallowtail butterflies feed on flower nectar from thistles, milkweed and red clover.
Perennial
Woody
Wildlife Food Source
Attracts Pollinators
Colorful
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Larval Host
Fruit
Displays from July to August.
Capsule
Achene
< 1 inch
Flowers
Leaves
Has both basal and stem leaves, divided into smaller leaflets. The leaves have strong and large teeth, but only a few along the margin.
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Ovate
Lanceolate
Serrate
Crenate
1-3 inches
Leathery
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Herbaceous Perennial
Wildflower
Herb
Multi-stemmed
Erect
Cultural Conditions
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Landscape
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Native Garden
Border
Mass Planting
Accent
Patio
Walkways
Woodland
Naturalized Area
Butterflies
Pollinators
Specialized Bees

Zizia trifoliata Attributes

Zizia trifoliata: Country Or Region Of Origin

US Southeast

Zizia trifoliata: Distribution

AL, AR, DC, FL, GA, KY, MD, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV

Zizia trifoliata: Wildlife Value

This plant supports Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) larvae which appear between April and October and have one to two flights in the north or three flights in the south. Adult Black Swallowtail butterflies feed on flower nectar from thistles, milkweed and red clover.

Zizia trifoliata: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Zizia trifoliata: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Zizia trifoliata: Play Value

Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer

Zizia trifoliata Fruit

Zizia trifoliata: Fruit Description

Displays from July to August.

Zizia trifoliata: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Zizia trifoliata: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Zizia trifoliata: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Zizia trifoliata: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Zizia trifoliata Flowers

Zizia trifoliata: Flower Description

Blooms from April to May.

Zizia trifoliata: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow

Zizia trifoliata: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Zizia trifoliata: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Zizia trifoliata: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Zizia trifoliata: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Zizia trifoliata Leaves

Zizia trifoliata: Leaf Description

Has both basal and stem leaves, divided into smaller leaflets. The leaves have strong and large teeth, but only a few along the margin.

Zizia trifoliata: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Zizia trifoliata: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Zizia trifoliata: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Zizia trifoliata: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Zizia trifoliata: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Zizia trifoliata: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Zizia trifoliata: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Zizia trifoliata: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Zizia trifoliata: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Zizia trifoliata Whole Plant Traits

Zizia trifoliata: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Zizia trifoliata: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Zizia trifoliata: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Zizia trifoliata: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Zizia trifoliata: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Zizia trifoliata Cultural Conditions

Zizia trifoliata: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Zizia trifoliata: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Zizia trifoliata: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Zizia trifoliata: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Zizia trifoliata: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Zizia trifoliata: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Zizia trifoliata Stem

Zizia trifoliata: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Zizia trifoliata: Stem Form

Straight
Zig Zags

Zizia trifoliata Landscape

Zizia trifoliata: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Zizia trifoliata: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Zizia trifoliata: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Zizia trifoliata: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees