These prairie plants provide nectar for pollinators such as bees and butterflies, and are useful for pollinator restoration projects. Goldenrod Soldier Beetles are especially beneficial visitors, with adults pollinating flowers, and larvae feeding on pests such as aphids. Seeds provide food for small birds like sparrows, and vegetative parts food for rabbits and White-tailed Deer. Plants have also been used for medicinal purposes, and to make coloured dye.

Flower Colour:

• Yellow

Flowering Season:

• Summer
• Fall

Flowering Months:

• August
• July
• October
• September

Canadian Rarity Status:

Not rare. Listed as “sensitive” in the Northwest Territories.

Physical Appearance:

The hairy, branching stems of this perennial grow 30 - 122 cm tall. Leaves are alternate and grass-like with 1-3 prominent veins, the lower leaves shed early in life. Flowers are arranged into branching clusters of 20-35 small, cone-shaped heads that bloom from the outside in. Each head consists of ray florets, and 5-toothed, tube-shaped disc florets. The fruit is a small nutlet, the seed attached to a tuft of hair-like bristles.

Similar Species:

Rigid Goldenrod

Gardening Notes:

Seeds and/or plants are often available from greenhouses and seed supply companies specializing in native plants. It can be propagated from seed or by dividing dormant plants.

Canadian Distribution:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland/Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan

Prairie Types:

• Fescue Prairie
• Mixed Grass Prairie
• Tall Grass Prairie

Habitats:

• Ditches
• Inter-dunal Flats
• Prairies
• Roadsides
• Wetlands

Moisture Conditions:

• Dry
• Moderate
• Moist

Light Preference:

• Full Sun

Soil Preference:

• Gravel
• Loam
• Sand