Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Lytle, Melody

Solidago altissima

Solidago altissima L.

Tall Goldenrod, Late Goldenrod, Canadian Goldenrod, Canada Goldenrod

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s): Solidago altissima var. altissima, Solidago altissima var. pluricephala, Solidago altissima var. procera, Solidago canadensis var. scabra, Solidago hirsutissima, Solidago lunellii

USDA Symbol: soal6

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), HI (I), CAN (N)

Rough, erect, 2-6 ft. stems occur singly or in clusters. Small, yellow flowers are arranged along the upper side of branches, forming a feathery, plume-shaped inflorescence.

Two other similar species with arching flower stalks are Giant Goldenrod (S. gigantea), smooth-stemmed, often with whitish bloom, and with flower heads to 1/4 of an inch (6 mm) long, and Canada Goldenrod (S. canadensis), with sharply toothed leaves and very small flower heads only 1/8 of an inch (3 mm) long. These three species appear so similar to the casual observer that they share several common names. Although S. altissima and other Goldenrods are commonly blamed for hay fever, this discomfort is usually caused by pollen from Ragweed (Ambrosia spp.).

From the Image Gallery

57 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Size Notes: Up to about 6 feet tall.
Leaf: Yellow-Green
Flower: Flowers in 3 inch pyramid.
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , AZ , CA , CO , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , HI , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NM , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV
Canada: NB , NS , ON , PE , QC , SK
Native Distribution: Most of s. Canada & AK, s. to VA, LA & CA
Native Habitat: Dry to moist roadsides, thickets, prairies & open woods

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Moist to dry soils. Clay, Clay Loam, Medium Loam, Sandy Loam, Sandy, Caliche type
Conditions Comments: Height is determined mostly by the fertility and moisture content of the soil. The western form is ssp. elongata.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Perennial garden, Pocket prairie
Use Wildlife: Attracts butterflies.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds , Butterflies
Nectar Source: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees
Special Value to Honey Bees
Supports Conservation Biological Control

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Propagate by seed or division of clumps. Use only strong outer rhizomes when dividing.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Order seed of this species from Native American Seed and help support the Wildflower Center.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU		FACU		FACU	FACU	UPL	FACU	FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Sibley Nature Center - Midland, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS
Nueces River Authority - Uvalde, TX
NPSOT - Austin Chapter - Austin, TX

Bibliography

Bibref 355 - Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Solidago altissima in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Solidago altissima in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Solidago altissima

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-01-16
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back