Here’s a plant that will bring color to your garden or meadow early in the season when many other perennials have not yet bloomed. Bright yellow flowers appear in late spring just in time to provide nectar for many insects who, in turn, supply a protein source for birds needing to feed their growing young. The tiny yellow flowers grow in a flat-topped cluster, or umbel, at the top of the plant and on lower stems. The plant’s lowest leaves are heart-shaped, giving this wildflower the common name Heart-leaf Golden Alexanders.
Conditions: Full sun to light shade; medium to dry soil
Size: 1’-3’ tall; 1’-1.5’ spread
Zone: 3 - 8
Wildlife Value: Larval host for Black Swallowtail; flowers provide nectar to many bees, beetles and short-tongued insects
Photo: Andrey Zharkikh