Ernst Seeds
Helping restore the native landscape for over 60 years
Founded by Calvin Ernst in 1964, Ernst Conservation Seeds is the largest native seed producer and supplier in the eastern United States.
Find the exact seeds you need for your project using the advanced search and filtering options of our Seed Finder Tool:
Browse all seed mixes and find the one you need using the advanced search and filtering options of our Seed Finder Tool:
Zizia aurea (Golden Alexanders) is an erect-growing, clump-forming perennial wildflower, with compound leaves, that can grow to a height of 3 ft. Golden Alexanders is Ernst Seeds' earliest blooming herbaceous native species, with the first blooms appearing up to a month prior to the local frost-free date. In our production fields, the first bloom date for Zizea aurea is variable by year, whereas the final bloom date is consistently in the first week of June. The blooms of Golden Alexanders are bright yellow and shaped like those of Queen Anne's Lace. Zizia aurea is an early season food source for specialist and foraging bees and butterflies. Golden Alexanders can be found from North Dakota to easterm Texas, the panhandle of Florida to Maine. Zizia aurea can be found in floodplains, wooded bottomland, streambanks, and moist meadows. Golden Alexanders can be grown on moist to dry soils, in full sun to partial shade. With its moisture and light tolerances, Zizia aurea can be used in wet meadow, riparian, rain garden, and pollinator-friendly meadow mixes. Seed dormancy can be very significant for some Zizia aurea. To break seed dormancy for transplant production, we recommend three to four months of cold, moist stratification. Zizia aurea is a member of the carrot family Apiaceae. The genus name honors Johann Ziz, a German botanist. The species name aurea means golden.
The native wildflowers and grasses in this mix provide an attractive display of color from spring to fall. Designed for mesic to upland sites and full sun to lightly shaded areas. This mix will attract a variety of pollinators and songbirds. Mix formulations are subject to change without notice depending on the availability of existing and new products. While the formula may change, the guiding philosophy and function of the mix will not.
Purple, Red, White, Yellow
Perennial
Agrimonia parviflora, PA Ecotype
Carex stricta, PA Ecotype
Asclepias incarnata
Baptisia pendula, FL Ecotype
