NOTE: In this article, Golden Alexander and Zizia aurea may be used interchangeably; in fact, Zizia aurea is the botanical name for Golden Alexander.
The golden Alexander is a native wildflower found in eastern North America. It’s unusual botanical name is inspired by a German botanist who discovered it.
Why does my Zizia aurea roots have rot?
Root rot on your Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) can be fatal if not treated with care. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you follow our guide to keep your plant alive if the symptoms occur: Root soft and blackened.
Why does my Golden Alexander have gray mold spots?
A particular fungus that frequently affects flowers and spreads quickly is known as gray mold spots. This fungus is most likely to blame if you see any brown (or gray) spots. Don’t ignore these signs because doing so could cause your plant to die.
Our Solution
The solution is quite logical when you know the cause of the problem. Most of the time, it is due to overwater of the Zizia aurea. We advise you to remove the infected parts of the plant, cut off the infected roots and leaves, then repot your plant using sterile potting soil and a clean pot.
Why does my Golden Alexander have leaf spots?
We provide you with all the information you need to identify and save your plants if they display signs like leaves that suddenly change color or wilt/droop. This sort of sickness is one of the most aggravating for Golden Alexander owners.
Why are my Golden Alexander leaves turning yellow?
This is probably the most common problem in the gardening world, yellowing leaves. There are 2 main reasons for this phenomenon, overwatering, or a lack of nutrients.
When it’s overwatering, simply reduce your watering frequency, and if you think it’s a nutrient deficiency, here’s how to check it:
Each deficiency produces a different yellowing on the Zizia aurea in question, here’s how to spot them:
- The first symptom of a magnesium deficiency is yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves. The leaf’s core turns yellow while the veins stay green. The edges of the leaf yellow last.
- Yellowing between leaf veins is another sign of iron shortage, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are initially affected.
- The newest leaves are first affected by sulfur deficiency, rendering them completely yellow.
- Insufficient potassium causes the leaf edges to turn brilliant yellow while the interior of the leaf stays green. Older leaves show the symptoms initially, and the leaf edges quickly darken.
- Nitrogen deficiency shows up as a general yellowing. Older, inner leaves turn yellow first. As it progresses, yellowing moves outward, eventually reaching young leaves, too.
Our Solution
According to the symptoms mentioned above, you just have to act accordingly. You can reduce your watering frequency, or fix a deficiency in Potassium, or Nitrogen, for that, you just have to buy a special soil for your deficiency, a consultant in a gardening store will know perfectly well how to inform you.
Is my Golden Alexander sunburned?
It is quite easy to find out if your Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) has been burned by the sun. Just like on us, your plant will change color in this case, it will start to turn yellow or white.
As we saw above, if your Golden Alexander receives too much water or not enough light, the leaves may also change color.
However, there is a way to tell if it is sunburn; look at the bottom of the yellow leaves, the ones that have a shaded area closer to the root, if this area stays greener, it is probably sunburned, not something else.
Why are my Golden Alexander leaves turning brown?
The classic sign that a plant has been overexposed to direct sunlight and sunburned is the development of browning leaves. Rest assured that while this may probably save your plant from dying, it will adversely affect its growth.
Should I leave my Zizia aurea in direct sunlight?
No! If your Zizia aurea (or Golden Alexander) has the symptoms described above, don’t leave it in direct sunlight, that’s the reason why your Golden Alexander is in such a state!
Our Solution
The remedy, as said in the paragraph above, is simple: just move your plant’s Golden Alexander out of direct sunlight. Your plant should swiftly re-grow with this strategy and appropriate watering.
Why are my Zizia aurea leaves drooping or wilting ?
This typically occurs when your Zizia aurea gets dehydrated. Large plants are more at risk since they naturally require more water than smaller plants.
You may quickly determine if your Zizia aurea plant needs water by under-weighing its pot; if it seems light, the soil and roots are probably fairly dry and require water.
Our Solution
If the soil in your plant’s pot is completely dry, you will need to start by moistening it so that the roots will also benefit from the water. A common mistake is to drown the Golden Alexander right after a dry period thinking that it needs a lot of water.
This is the case, but giving too much water at once is the best way to finish it off, you should actually water the soil normally, resuming a quiet watering rhythm.
Caring Tips for Zizia aurea
Water Occasionally
Water is essential to the survival of your plant, however, it is important to balance the rate of watering. As we explained above, overwatering could have fatal consequences for your Zizia aurea.
Touching the soil will let you know whether your plant needs water or not; if it still feels damp, it’s generally best to wait a few more days.
Always keep temperatures stable
Maintaining a consistent temperature for your Zizia aurea is also a good idea, especially if it is kept indoors. At GreenShack, we typically advise reserving a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, avoid positioning your Zizia aurea close to air conditioners, radiators, or other sources of hot or cold air.
Keep your Golden Alexander Dust-Free
This one relates to indoor plants. Just like your furniture, dust collects on the leaves of your indoor plants. The issue is that this can block the photosynthesis process from starting, which would cause the plants to gradually lose their color.
This would be a true journey into hell for your Golden Alexander and would also satisfy the pests.
Take a microfiber cloth and gently massage the plant’s leaves to get rid of the dust. Use a damp cloth to make dust removal easier, but avoid using corrosive materials like rubbing alcohol!
Keep drainage in mind
If you tend to overwater, you need to pay attention to your drainage, and we advise choosing a saucer and a pot with drainage holes if they are not already there.
If your pots don’t already have holes in them, you can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the meantime. This will assist in creating a channel and keep the water from pooling there for an extended period of time, protecting the roots from decay.
