Zizia aurea

Zizia aurea — Golden Alexanders — is a quietly elegant perennial from the prairies, thickets and open woodlands of North America that deserves to be far better known in British gardens. Upright, branching stems carry glossy, pinnate leaves and, in late spring and early summer, flattened umbels of vibrant acid-yellow flowers that are irresistible to pollinators. Purplish seed heads follow, extending the season of interest well into summer.

We first grew Zizia aurea when supplying plants for an RHS Chelsea garden, and it immediately earned its place on our list. There's a particular quality to its flowers — airy and refined — that works beautifully in naturalistic, prairie and wildlife plantings.

Rosy has long championed yellow in the garden as a colour that lifts everything around it — the tone that makes neighbouring plants sing. Zizia aurea does exactly that, combining beautifully with the blues, purples and rich reds of a late spring border. It self-seeds gently, gradually naturalising into borders and meadow plantings without becoming a nuisance.

Grow in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade.

Height × Spread: 80cm × 50cm