By Michele Browne
Horticulture Program Assistant
Think this plant is making you sneeze? Think again. This is our lovely American native, Goldenrod, or Solidago. Goldenrod has been too often falsely maligned. The real culprit in the fall hay fever wars is Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia).
(Please see our companion Weed of the Month article on Ragweed.) While ragweed pollen floats freely in the wind, the pollen of goldenrod is too heavy to be carried very far. So, let’s do a mental adjustment and start to think of this handsome flower as the worthy garden member it is.
Although rarely planted here in the States, goldenrod is highly prized in gardens in England and Europe. There are nearly a hundred members of the goldenrod family found in North America. One or more of these is found in every state in the continental United States. True, most are common weeds (or more correctly, wildflowers!) However, many are lovely plants deserving a place in our perennial gardens or borders. Below you will find several garden varieties you may want to look out for:
Sweet Goldenrod (Solidago odora): Frequently requested for use as a medicinal plant, Sweet Goldenrod offers fragrant, licorice-scented foliage. 3-4’ stems are topped by flat, golden panicles in early fall.
Dwarf Goldenrod ‘Golden Fleece’ (Solidago sphacelata ‘Golden Fleece’): A smaller goldenrod for smaller gardens, this bushy, full plant displays a bounty of rich, golden wands. The flowering stems are pyramidal and fountain-like. Bloom begins in late August. Height 18”-24.”
Crown of Rays Goldenrod (Solidago ‘Crown of Rays”): Slightly taller than Golden Fleece with full, golden blossom heads that radiate out from a central stalk, this Goldenrod offers an earlier display as it begins to bloom in July.
Golden Aster (Solidaster ‘Lenmore’): Solidaster is a natural goldenrod-aster hybrid. It is favored for its pale, buttery blooms that fade to nearly white. Height 2-3.’ Provide full sun, good drainage,and plenty of air movement for the best plants.
Fireworks Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’): A true scene-stealer, this Goldenrod will leave its mark on your memory once you have seen it. Slender 6 to 8 inch long arching streamers of bloom seem to shoot out in all directions - exactly like its namesake (see photo above). This is an introduction from the North Carolina Botanic Garden and performs well in the South. Forms a neat clump growing 3-4’ tall.
Goldenrod
and Aster 'Raydon's Favorite' put on a fall show at Atlanta's Chattahoochee
Nature Center, October, '03. (Photo by Michele Browne
Plant Culture: All Goldenrods are tough plants that thrive in full sun on not-to-rich soil with a minimum of water. They typically bloom from early August through to frost. Providing better soil conditions, good air circulation, and minimal water during droughty periods only improves their good looks. Goldenrods have few if any pest or disease problems. Plants should be divided every 2-3 years to control growth.
In 2001 The Chicago Botanical Garden completed a five-year trial of 22 Solidagos. The best overall rating was given to Solidago ‘Fireworks.’ Other superior plants included: Solidago rigida and Solidago ‘Golden Fleece.’
Plant Pairings:
1). Goldenrod and Asters: Goldenrods are members of the Aster family, so a natural pairing occurs here. Consider some of the spectacular fall-blooming New England Asters, also known as Michaelmas Daisies. This flower comes in colors ranging from pink to deep purple and blooms in September thru October. Two plants to try in particular are the small ‘Purple Dome’ (2 foot tall) or the larger ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ (2-3 foot) with its stunning electric violet blue coloration. These plants are also important as a late-season nectar source for our migrating butterflies.
2). Goldenrod and Bluebeard: Another excellent pairing would include the shrub Caryopteris or Blue Spirea/Bluebeard. The foliage of Caryopteris is also valued for the pleasant minty fragrance of the leaves and stems. Shrub grows to around two feet tall and displays an abundance of sky blue flowers in September and October. This particular shrub has two cultivars, C. clandonensis ‘Blue Mist,’ and
C. clandonensis ‘Worchester Gold’ that were Georgia Gold Medal Perennials for 2002 (see the complete Gold Medal Plant Lists at www.georgiagoldmedal.com).
3). Goldenrod and Purple Basil: The dark purple ornamental varieties of basil (Ocimum basilicum) magnificently set off Solidago and vice versa. Plants to try include: ‘Dark Opal,’Purple Ruffles,’ and ‘Red Rubin.’
4). Other fall blooming companion plants to consider include the neon-purple-berried shrub Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana) and our native Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) with its delicate mist of purple-pink seed heads.
Sources for Plants:
Niche Gardens
1111 Dawson Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
(919) 967-0078
Plant Delights Nursery
9241 Sauls Road
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 772-4794
Information Sources:
The Southern Living Garden Book, Edited by Steve Bender, Oxmoor House, February, 1998.
“A Fall Flower Combination,” by Ron Dieter, Sunnyfield Greenhouse & Gardens at www.sunnyfield.com.
“Goldenrod Solidago spp.” by Paula Refi, from Perennial Notes, Volume IX, No. 4 Fall 1994 published to the web at Perennial Notes Excerpts by The Georgia Perennial Plant Association at www.mindspring.com/~Guzy/newsletter/article004/
“Herbaceous Plants: Solidago” at www.nichegdn.com
“Solidago ‘Fireworks’” at www.plantdelight.com