Giant Goldenrod

Notes:

Solidago gigantea, commonly called early goldenrod or giant goldenrod, is a rhizomatous, upright perennial of the sunflower family. It is native from Quebec to British Columbia and throughout the 48 States except for Arizona. It is mostly found growing in moist conditions on stream/pond margins, floodplain woodlands, wet woods, thickets, wet prairies and bluff bases. Glabrous central stems rise to 3-7' tall clad with numerous, narrow, alternate, lance-shaped, sharply-toothed, stalkless to short-stalked, glabrous, green leaves (to 3-5" long and 2/3" wide) which are tapered at each end. Central stems are topped in late summer to fall (August to October) with large horizontally branched terminal panicles (to 12" long) containing recurving branches filled with masses of tiny yellow flowers (each to 1/4"). Flowers are followed by achenes. Goldenrods are attractive to bees and butterflies. Goldenrods have been wrongfully accused of causing hay fever which is actually an allergic reaction to wind-borne pollen from other plants such as ragweed. Genus name comes from the Latin words solidus meaning whole and ago meaning to make in reference to the medicinal healing properties of some species plants. Specific epithet is in reference to the size of this plant. Blooms earlier (sometimes beginning in July) than is the case with many other species of goldenrod.