Showy Goldenrod

Solidago speciosa

Showy Goldenrod

Joshua Mayer from Madison, WI, USA

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Asteraceae
Genus:
Solidago
Species:
Solidago speciosa

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
6-8 ft
Light Requirements:
Part Shade
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
aug, sep
Bloom Colors:
Yellow

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming, Canada: Manitoba, Ontario

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★★☆☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Bee Keystone:
★☆☆☆☆ Based on number of native bee species using this genus for pollen and nectar (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Lemon cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus citrinus), Lemon cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus citrinus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), 🛑Rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), 🛑Rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
dry to moderate
Notes:
prefers open, sunny areas in prairies

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o