Wednesday, October 07, 2020

Plant Profile: Goldenrod (Solidago sp.).

 


Goldenrod is falsely accused of causing fall allergies as it blooms at the same time as Ragweed, the real culprit. It is also an easy-to-grow plant that many home gardeners treat as a weed or ignore it for its commonness.

However, Goldenrod has much to recommend it. It has late-summer color that lasts for weeks, pollinators love it, and it grows without any care from this gardener, what more could you want from a back-of-the-border perennial? It also makes a great cut flower and is an economical filler in mixed arrangements with more expensive flower selections.

It will self-sow vigorously and that means weeding it out between pavers and other places where a tall plant cannot be allowed to remain. It is fairly shallow-rooted though, so it is not a big problem to pull up after a recent rain. You can also prevent rampant re-seeding by cutting off the flowerheads after they are past peak, but before the spill their seeds to the winds.

Most Solidago species originate in the meadows and open woodlands of North America. 

There are better-behaved cultivars of Goldenrod available that are more compact, have showier flowers, and behave less aggressively than the straight species. They include ‘Golden Fleece’, ‘Goldrush’, and ‘Fireworks’.

Goldenrod are not picky about soil types and do not need fertilizing. They do need full sun to do their best flowering. Like many other perennials, the best times to divide or move them are in spring or fall.

Goldenrod - You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Visuals by Nicole Noechel
Audio by Kathy Jentz

 

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