Photo by: Roger Hammer, Dade Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

Leavenworth's goldenrod

Synonym(s):

Solidago chapmanii

Genus species:

Solidago leavenworthii

Family:

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

Up to 4 ft tall.  Small clones.

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow

Fruit Color:

white

Phenology:

Flowers summer-fall.

Noted For:

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Wildflower garden especially toward the back where height won't be an issue.

Considerations:

Availability:

Propagation:

Seed or cuttings.

Light:

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Not wet but not extremely dry ---to--- Short very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salt.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Soil pH:

adaptable from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline

Suitable to Grow In:

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Birds



  • Used for nectar by butterflies.


  • Attracts a wide variety of pollinators, especially bees.  Chauliognathus pensylvanicus is one or the many goldenrod pollinators ( FL Wildflower Foundation ).


  • Is a larval food for some lepidopterans, mostly moths.




  • Songbirds such as goldfinches and sparrows eat the seeds, and mice and deer browse the foliage and flowers. 


  • Birds feed on the insects collecting pollen and nectar.


  • Provides cover for many small animals including but not limited to lizzards, skinks, snakes, and mice.


Native Habitats:

Typically a plant of mesic flatwoods.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

The leaves can be used to make a tea.



Goldenrods are not a cause of hay fever.  They got the blame for ragweed which blooms at the same time of year.

General Comments:

This forms clumps but does not form large clones, which means it will not take over a garden.