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(Solidago rigida)
Stiff Goldenrod

Host Plant: Wavy-lined Emerald (Synchlora aerata)

Nectar Plant: Other insects, especially bees and wasps

Flower Color: yellow

Growth Habit: herbaceous perennial that grows from 1 to 5 feet tall

Range in North America: Midwestern, south-central, and eastern North America

Exposure: Full sun

Hardiness: Zones 3-9

Soil Requirements: well-drained soil that is moist to dry

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Stiff Goldenrod (Solidago rigida)

Yellow flowers of stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida).
Flowers of Stiff Goldenrod — Solidago rigida L.
observed in Canada by Glenn Berry (licensed under CC0 1.0)

Description

Stiff Goldenrod (Solidago rigida), a member of the Asteraceae (Aster Family), is a herbaceous perennial that grows 1 to 5 feet tall and has yellow flowers that bloom in the late summer and early fall from August to September. The alternate, simple leaves are oval in shape and have entire margins or sometimes rounded teeth. This plant grows in zones 3-9 and likes open areas with full sun.

Subspecies

Solidago rigida has three subspecies – glabrata, which occurs mostly in the south and southeastern US, humilis, which occurs in the midwestern US and Canada and the type – rigida, which occurs in the midwest and eastern US plus Ontario.

Alternative Names

Stiff-leaved Goldenrod, Prairie Goldenrod, and Goldenrod

Hosted Species

Wavy-lined Emerald (Synchlora aerata)

Wavy-lined Emerald (Synchlora aerolata) on fabric.
CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Many butterflies, bees, wasps, flies, ants, and beetles use this plant as a nectar source, especially bees and wasps. Birds, such as the Eastern Goldfinch, eat the seeds, and some mammals eat the stems and leaves. Goldenrods in general are one of the most important nectar plants in the fall. This particular species is also used by soldier beetles.

Range of Stiff Goldenrod (Solidago rigida) in the United States and Canada

Range map of stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida) in the United States and Canada.

 

Habitat

Stiff Goldenrod is found in sunny open areas such as fields, prairies, railroads, limestone glades, and roadsides.

Origin of Name

The genus name, Solidago, comes from the Latin for Solidus and ago and refers to the medicinal healing properties.

The species name, rigida, refers to the stiffness of the stem.

 

Native Location

Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9

Exposure Requirements

Full Sun

Plant Habit

Herbaceous

Soil Requirements

Dry, Medium, Moist

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Stiff Goldenrod”

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