Gerald D. Tang/gardenIMAGE		Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Solidago altissima (Tall Goldenrod)	Solidago caesia (Blue-stemmed Goldenrod)	Solidago odora (Sweet Goldenrod)

Copyright, Janet Novak, Connecticut Botanical Society
Solidago rugosa (Rough-stemmed Goldenrod)	Solidago rigida (Stiff Goldenrod)	Solidago speciosa (Showy Goldenrod)

Goldenrods are very common wildflowers throughout Virginia and North America. It is difficult to describe only one, because there are over 50 species of Goldenrod in North America and most of them are very similar and hard to tell apart. All Goldenrods are late bloomers, flowering in late Summer into the Fall. Most species have spectacular displays of bright yellow flowers.

Copyright, by David L. Green (used with permission) Copyright, by David L. Green (used with permission)

Flowers are clustered on long stalks. Most Goldenrods have long, narrow leaves. Some species' leaves have smooth edges and some are toothed. Goldenrods vary in height, with six feet being the tallest (Solidago altissima). Some, such as Solidago odora (Sweet Goldenrod) have pleasant odors. Goldenrods are extremely important to other wildlife, especially insects. Many animals come to Goldenrod to drink nectar, collect pollen, nibble leaves and stems, prey on other insects, or lay eggs. Bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, flies, and others visit for nectar and pollen. Caterpillars, aphids, and other small insects eat the leaves and stems. Wasps, spiders, praying mantids, lacewings, ambush bugs, assassin bugs, beetles, and birds prey on the insects Goldenrod attracts. There is even a Goldenrod Spider, who specializes in hiding on these plants! There are also special flies, called Gall Flies, which lay eggs in the stems and leaves of Goldenrod so their larvae can hatch and begin eating. Some insect predators, such as the Praying Mantis, lay their eggs on Goldenrod too, so their babies can feast on insects when they hatch. There are so many interactions among animals on and around Goldenrods that it becomes very complicated to follow.

Goldenrods grow just about everywhere. They are most often seen in fields or along stream banks, but they can also be seen in woods.

They are sometimes considered a weed, because they grow quickly and can crowd other plants.

Additional Media

Description Type Credit Key to Identify Different Species of Goldenrods Link to Andy's Northern Ontario Wildflowers Website Andy Fyon Key to Identify Goldenrod Galls Link to Solidago Gall Homepage Bucknell University

Relationships in Nature:

Animals Using as Food Source	Animals Using as Shelter	Associations With Other Plants	OTHER
Monarch	Goldenrod Gall Fly	Mockernut Hickory	Chinese Mantid FP
Honey Bee	Goldenrod Spider	Common Dandelion	Eastern Yellow Jacket FP Po
Golden Northern Bumble Bee	American Dog Tick	English Plantain	Convergent Ladybug Beetle FP
Painted Lady	Northern Cardinal	Red Clover	Goldenrod Spider FP
Red Admiral	Chinese Mantid	Devil's Beggar-tick	Green Lacewing FP Po
Clouded Sulphur	Black and Yellow Argiope	Spotted Joe-pye Weed	Black Cherry A
Goldenrod Gall Fly	Green Stinkbug	Common Ragweed	Clouded Sulphur Po
White-tailed Deer	Eastern Mole	Jimsonweed	Honey Bee Po
Eastern Cottontail	Eastern Forest Snail	Black-eyed Susan	Golden Northern Bumble Bee Po
Black Carpenter Ant	White-footed Mouse	Chicory	Monarch Po
Pennsylvania Firefly	Common Grackle	Bushy Aster	Downy Woodpecker FP
Carolina Chickadee	White-throated Sparrow	Common Mullein	Goldenrod Gall Fly Pa
Green Stinkbug	Six-spotted Tiger Beetle		Buffalo Treehopper Pa
Eastern Forest Snail	Buffalo Treehopper		Organ-pipe Mud Dauber Po
Bald-faced Hornet	Chigger
Buffalo Treehopper
Organ-pipe Mud Dauber

Relationship to Humans:

Goldenrods are considered a very desirable wildflower, because of the large number of spectacular yellow flowers that bloom in late summer and fall. They are also great attractors of wildlife, especially butterflies. Sometimes, they do too well and become a nuisance.

Some Goldenrod species are used in making medicines.

Goldenrods are mistakenly blamed for pollen allergies. Goldenrod pollen is not the cause of fall allergies, though. Ragweed, which blooms at the same time as Goldenrod, is the culprit.

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

KINGDOM Plant DIVISION Magnoliophyta CLASS Magnoliopsida ORDER Asterales FAMILY Asteraceae GENUS Soldidago SPECIES see species above

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