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Selecting a Solidago
Solidago is a diverse genus containing nearly one hundred species native to North America. Their habitats range from exposed beaches to woodlands, from the East Coast to the West. Plus, there are so many cultivars on the market with each selection hoping to capture the gardener's interest with more manageable habits and well-behaved mannerisms. With so much to choice on offer - we hope to help you to choose the one best suited for your site.
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Goldenrod embodies the spirit of early fall - the warm exuberance of the clear days and crisp, cool nights. The feathery branching clusters of deep golden yellow flowers are a cheerful reminder that summer is coming to a close. With so many plants in the genera, it is hard to nail down a bloom time and preferred cultural conditions but generally, these vase-shaped plants prefer sun and bloom in late summer to fall.
Solidago is an essential late-season nectar and pollen source for our native pollinators. Supporting dozens of types of insects - from beetle to fly to bee to butterfly - planting this genera will be a welcome addition to any site. It is notorious for it's ability to thrive in tough locations while also maintaining high-ornamental value. The root systems are excellent for erosion control. Look to our descriptions for notes on a particular plant's spread - this is key for sourcing the right plant for a particular site. In addition, the coarse foliage of goldenrod makes it resistant to all sorts of garden pests - from deer to rabbit to vole.
Add goldenrod to a cut flower garden, edging, hedge, meadow garden, mixed border, woodland garden, and at the back of beds and borders.
Want to see goldenrod in action? Check out four plant combinations for late-season color and pollinator habitat.
Tall size combo (4'+): Eupatorium fistulosum, Aster novae-angliae, Solidago 'Fireworks'
Mid-size combo (3-4'): Solidago 'Solar Cascade' , Boltonia 'Snowbank', Eupatorium Euphoria™ Ruby
Short combo (1-3'): Aster 'Purple Dome', Solidago 'Golden Fleece', Perovskia 'Little Spire'
Goldenrod for shade: Aster cordifolius, Heuchera 'Autumn Bride', Solidago caesia
Tips for growing goldenrod:
Solidago can be susceptible to powdery mildew and rust. If this problem arises, ensure the site has the right amount of light, good drainage, and ample air movement. You can divide or thin out clumps to increase air circulation.
Annual maintenance is a yearly cut back to the ground in spring.
Divide plants every 3-4 years to maintain clump's vigor and health. Replant healthy young sections from the outer ring when you divide and discard the woody core.
Warning: certain goldenrods can produce abundant seed and self sow or by spreading rhizome. Mulching around the base will help limit self-sowing - if it is desired for a naturalistic garden, leave a space free of mulch and have at it. If aggressive rhizome spread is not a feature desired for the site, it is best to choose another cultivar.
Dispelling the myth:
Goldenrod gets a bad rap as the plant that triggers people's hay fever each fall. This isn't true!
The pollen of goldenrod is large and sticky making it a very attractive food source for native pollinators. The true culprit of fall hay fever is ragweed which looks similar, blooms at the same time, and whose pollen is very small, lightweight, and is blown by the wind.
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Solidago caesia is a clump-forming native perennial with bold displays of arching wands of gold clusters in September, contrasted by blue-green stems. This goldenrod adds life to dry, shady spots and its simple foliage and upright habit grow 1-3’ tall; a perfect lower height for a light transition area of a garden.
- Well-behaved, spreading slowly by creeping rhizomes or seed
- Once established, it is drought-tolerant
- Supports 10 specialist pollinators and a larval host plant for a native leaf beetle, leafhoppers, and several flies
- Best used at the woodland's edge on in a shaded butterfly or wild garden
Solidago flexicaulis brings pollinators to your dappled shade areas with a subtle yellow flower clusters in mid-summer to fall. It is great, compact pollinator plant for part shade conditions, growing 1-3' tall and equally as wide.
- Tolerates deer, shade, and clay soils.
- Semi-evergreen basal leaves provide winter erosion control
- Easy to grow in well-drained, average to moist soils.
- Does best in dappled sun but also grows in full sun and full shade
Solidago graminifolia has fine-textured linear foliage and golden flat-topped inflorescences blooming from late July to September. Growing 2-4’ tall and 3’+ wide, it is cherished by butterflies and preying mantises. It stands apart from other Solidago by its grass-like, fine leaves, flat-topped, bushy flowers, and smaller, numerous flower clusters.
- Prefers moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade
- Supports long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, moths, and beetles. It is a larval host plant for several moths
- Caution – this plant readily spreads when happy by seed or by roots and would be best suited in a less managed landscape or placed in a large space
Solidago Little Lemon® is a grower's favorite with it's exceptionally compact habit and bright, light yellow flowers beginning in late summer and lasting well into fall. Growing 18" tall and 18-24" wide, it is a very well-behaved and tidy plant.
- Great shelf life!
- Versatile
- Easy to grow, both in the garden and as a container plant
- Great as a cut flower
- Very attractive to butterflies
Solidago odora is covered in plume-like gold flowers from late August to September. The lanceolate, rough foliage grows upright, about 2-4’ tall and 2’ wide, and earns its moniker by the anise scent when the foliage is crushed. Traditionally used in teas, sweet goldenrod is a wonderful addition to the garden, tolerating a wide variety of soil types from heavy clay to sandy soils.
- Adaptable - performs well in full sun to light shade and average to sandy, poor soils
- Well-behaved, spreading slowly by creeping rhizomes or seed
- Once established, it is drought-tolerant
- S. odora attracts butterflies, bees, ladybugs, lacewings and other beneficial insects. It is a larval host plant for a native leaf beetle, leafhoppers, and several flies
Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ is a compact, cascading, clump-forming native cultivar with a radiating flower form that really looks like fireworks! In 1970, ‘Fireworks’ was selected and named by Ken Moore of North Carolina Botanical Garden in and introduced by Niche Gardens. Growing 3-4’ tall and spreading 2-3’ wide, ‘Fireworks’ is a tough and robust selection of Solidago rugosa and was top-rated in the Chicago Botanic Garden Solidago Evaluation. Flowers begin their dazzling display by late August.
- Prefers full sun in average to moist soils that are well-drained
- More tolerant of wet soils that other goldenrod
- Can spread by creeping rhizomes or seed
- Supports insects, including small bees, wasps, flies, small butterflies, skippers, and beetles once it begins to flower. It is a larval host plant to several moth caterpillars and leaf beetles
Solidago sempervirens is a low maintenance native growing 3-6’ tall. Stems erupt from a tight clump of evergreen blue-green basal leaves producing golden-yellow tight blooms at the terminal end of long stalks. Seaside goldenrod is notably different for its almost succulent-like foliage and flowers, a protection against the ocean winds.
- Extremely tolerant of salt, periodic inundation, and drought
- Blooms late in the summer
- Prefers sunny locations with moist to dry soils
- Spreads readily by seed
- In lean soils, the plant generally grows about 3’ tall. In rich, moist garden soil, it can grow 6' tall and may require pinching or staking. For best appearance, pinch the growing tips in early summer if a more compact plant is desired.
- Useful for dune restoration projects, stormwater management, roadside plantings
Solidago shortii ‘Solar Cascade’ has delightful, golden-yellow flowers borne on axillary clusters along reflexing stems blooming from late summer into fall. Growing 24-30” tall and 18-24” wide, ‘Solar Cascade’ has reliable, deep green, glossy foliage that remains clean throughout the growing seasons and forms neat clumps in the garden. Introduced by the Cincinnati Zoo Botanic Garden, Solidago shortii 'Solar Cascade' was developed as part of an effort to save this endangered species with Native Endangered Plant Program. What makes Solidago shortii perfect for gardens is why it is rare and endangered in nature – research from Middle Tennessee State University found its smaller leaf size, large root to shoot biomass ratio and smaller flowers allows the plant to thrive in tough, drought conditions.
- Does not compete as readily as other, larger-leaved and copious seed-producing Solidago and is generally outcompeted in the wild
- Plants spread slowly by rhizome and can spread by seed but require cross-pollination by a pollinator. They are self-sterile.
- Primarily pollinated by the soldier beetle, the easily accessible flower clusters are beloved by many insects, from skippers to wasps to flies to beetles
- 'Solar Cascade' is taller than Solidago ‘Golden Fleece’ but shorter than ‘Fireworks’
Introduced by Mt. Cuba in the late 80s, Solidago sphacelata ‘Golden Fleece’ was a chance seedling found in Eden, North Carolina and brought to Dr. Richard Lighty for Mt. Cuba’s evaluation. Displaying a stunning show of sprays of golden yellow flowers from mid-August through September, ‘Golden Fleece’ is a compact goldenrod, growing up to 20” tall and spreading to 36” over five years.
- Semi-evergreen basal leaves are an excellent unconventional groundcover
- Very durable, drought-resistant, and long-lived in the garden
- Won the Internationale Stauden-Union’s Award for an outstanding new plant in Switzerland in 1994.
- It is tolerant of a wide range of conditions, from part shade and dry soil to moist soil in full sun but performs best in average garden soil
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