Zizia aptera

After the cold gloominess of winter, beautiful umbel shaped golden flowers appear throughout meadows in spring. The petals of this flower only slightly open when in bloom. Although like Golden Alexander, this plant can easily be distinguished by its heart-shaped leaves and is more drought tolerant. This plant is celebrated for its ability to grow in dense clay where other plants may struggle and grows beautifully in masse. The short blooms make the nectar of this plant available to a variety of insects, including bees, pollinating flies, beetles, butterflies, and more. Heartleaf Golden-Alexander is also a host plant for Black Swallowtail Butterflies. As it tolerates occasionally dry soil, it would do well in containers, which is perfect if you have limited space. You don’t need a lot of space to make a difference, and this plant is an excellent example of that! After a hot summer, foliage may look depleted, but this is normal for the species. Although it is also referred to as Meadow Parsnip, foraging plants in the carrot family is ill-advised even for experienced foragers, as many plants in the carrot family have toxic look-alikes.