FNPS Plant Database

Solidago leavenworthii

Leavenworth's goldenrod
  • 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

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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:

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

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.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Chafin, L. G. (2000). Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida. Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee, FL.


Gilman, Edward F., Ryan W. Klein, and Gail Hansen. (2023). Illicium parviflorum Anise, Yellow Anisetree, Star Anise. ( https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP278 ). Accessed 2026. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville.


Missouri Botanical Garden. (Undated). Plant Profile: Illicium parviflorum 'Florence'. ( http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=301121 ). Accessed 2026. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


North Carolina State Extension. (Undated). North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. ( https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/ ). North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University, Greensboro, NC.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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