A majority of the spring-blooming plants have shown their faces, and the summer heat has brought out some new faces in the Gardens. In the front entry areas, a lovely umbel-shaped flower is showing off its sunshine yellow blossoms. Golden Alexander, Zizia aurea, is a hardy native perennial that can tolerate part-shade to full sun. It can also act as a host for Black Swallowtail Butterfly. They lay their eggs on the plant, and you may even see a caterpillar or two that look very similar to Monarchs caterpillars. Watch for caterpillars and eggs on Golden Alexanders, Common Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, and Red Swamp Milkweed throughout the gardens. Other blooming plants to watch for are Shasta Daisy, Lupine, Coral Bells and a variety of annual bedding plants.

Golden Alexander