Western Goldenrod

Solidago lepida

Pyramidal panicle of small yellow flowers

Photo Credit: Charles T. Bryson, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org

Plant Description

Western goldenrod is a perennial wildflower native to much of western North America, where it grows in moist meadows, forest edges, and streambanks. It produces tall stems topped with showy clusters of small, bright yellow flowers in late summer to fall, providing an important nectar source for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Its adaptability to a range of soils and its late-season bloom make it ecologically significant for sustaining pollinators when other flowers have faded. It can be aggressive in moist open areas, so plant accordingly!

Plant Details

Life Forms	Forb
Habitats	Bottomland forests Farm fields Fencelines Floodplains Forest edges Forest openings Forest understories Forests Gardens Grasslands Little Habitats Marshes Meadows Mixed hardwood-conifer forests Parklands Prairies Residential yards Riparian areas Riparian forests Roadsides Seeps Trailsides Wet prairies Woodlands
Soil and Moisture Conditions	Moist
Special Uses	Attracts birds Attracts pollinators and or other beneficial insects Blooms August Blooms July Blooms September-October Deciduous Flowering Flowers yellow Hedgerow Herbaceous Ornamental Perennial Produces nectar Produces pollen Produces seeds Provides soil stabilization Provides wildlife habitat Restoration/revegetation
Shade Preference	Full sun Part shade
Mature Height	2-6'