General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries.
Description: Small to medium herb with attractive spikes of yellow flowers.
Dimensions: About 3-9 inches in height; up to 4 feet when in flower. Taller than broad when in flower.
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast.
Range:
Southeastern United States north to New Jersey, west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, southern Mexico and Guatemala. In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
Habitats: Pinelands, prairies and marshes.
Soils: Seasonally wet to moist, moderately- to poorly-drained freshwater soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance: Moderate; tolerates brackish water or occasional inundation by salt water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance: Moderate to high; plants growing in extremely dry soils may die during extended periods of drought.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Yellow.
Flower Characteristics: Showy spikes.
Flowering Season: All year; peak summer-fall.
Fruit: Inconspicuous achene.
Wildlife and Ecology: Attracts native bees and other beneficial insects. Valuable source of insects for birds.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and division.
References: Hammer 2004
Comments: The leaves can be used to make a tea. Goldenrods are not a cause of hay fever as has been suggested.
