Zizia aurea (golden Alexanders)

One of the first tall wildflowers to shoot up in the spring, golden Alexanders are native to meadows and woodland edges. Their sunny blooms provide early season nutrition for insects, making them an important component of a pollinator garden. Like many fast-growing perennials, golden Alexanders are short-lived but reseed readily and will pop up here and there in your garden. Reach a height of 2', prefer average to moist soil, and bloom in May. Deer tend not to bother them.