Natives For Your Neighborhood
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

General Landscape Uses: Wildflower gardens.

Availability: Native plant nurseries. Available in Melbourne at Native Butterfly Flowers (321-626-7386).

Description: Large herbaceous wildflower.

Dimensions: About 1-2 feet in height; 4-6 feet when in flower. Taller than broad when in flower.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Eastern and central United States west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys (where very rare); Bermuda, Bahamas, Cuba and Mexico.

 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: Open coastal areas.

Soils: Seasonally wet to moist, moderately- to poorly-drained freshwater to brackish soils, without humus.

Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.

Salt Water Tolerance: Moderate; tolerates brackish water or occasional inundation by salt water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury.

Drought Tolerance: Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.

Light Requirements: Full sun.

Flower Color: Yellow.

Flower Characteristics: Showy spikes.

Flowering Season: All year; peak summer-fall.

Fruit: Inconspicuous achene.

Wildlife and Ecology: Nectar plant for monarch (Danaus plexippus) and other butterflies. Attracts bee pollinators. Birds feed on the insects.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.

References: Miami-Dade County Landscape Manual (2005).

Comments: The leaves can be used to make a tea. Goldenrods are not a cause of hay fever as has been suggested. See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.