Heart-leaf Golden-Alexanders is a herbaceous perennial found in moist woodland areas, thickets, glades, prairies, and clearings. It can grow singly or in small colonies/clumps. The absence of a flower stalk on the central flower of each umbel makes this variety different from other members of the carrot family. Sometimes confused with Zizia aurea , its simple, heart-shaped basal leaves make this variety unique. A typical plant can have two or more clusters of flowers. These flat-topped clusters bloom in late spring to early summer on the upper stems. These umbels (a flower cluster with stalks of equal length that form a common center) are 2 to 3" across and contain 7 to 15 umbellets. The umbellets each have 10 to 20 flowers. Each tiny flower has 5 petals that remain nearly closed. The tiny flowers are a mere 1/8 inch across. Bees, pollinating flies, butterflies, beetles, and other plant insects seek the nectar and pollen from this plant's flowers. The caterpillars of the black swallowtail butterfly eat the foliage. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: The late summer foliage may become depleted. This plant may be short-lived.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Undivided basal leaves attach to the stem by way of 2-3" petioles. As you progress up the stem, the leaves are smaller and the petioles are shorter. The upper leaves may be compound. A spot of purple is often visible where the leaf of end leaflet meet the stalk.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers bloom from April to May. They grow as 2-3" clusters of 7-15 smaller clusters, each having 10-20 1/8" flowers. The flowers do not open fully.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The oval fruits are displayed from July to August. They are a small fruit with 5 angular ribs that replace each flower. They have 2 sections, are slightly flattened and ridged. They eventually split into 2 seeds.
Stem color
Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The stems are hairless and rounded. Vertical light green lines are present.
Bees and flies are attracted by the plants' nectar. 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.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators; Songbirds
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Attracts Pollinators; Easy to Grow; Wildlife Food Source