common wrinkle-leaved goldenrod
Solidago rugosa
Despite its bad reputation, goldenrod does not cause hay fever. Its pollen is heavy and sticky, designed to hitch a ride on insects rather than float in the wind; the real culprit is wind-pollinated ragweed.
- Scientific name
- Solidago rugosa
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Solidago
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Damp meadows, old fields, forest edges, bogs, and disturbed roadsides.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthetic, utilizing sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and soil minerals).
- Range
- Eastern North America, United States, Canada
- Size
- 30 to 150 cm (1 to 5 feet) in height.
- Lifespan
- Perennial (individual stems die annually, but underground rhizomes can live for decades).
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to urbanization, intensive mowing, and widespread herbicide application.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and safe to touch. Be mindful of stinging insects like bees and wasps that frequently gather on its yellow flowers. Avoid crushing or pulling the plant to preserve local pollinator habitats.
Solidago rugosa , commonly called the wrinkleleaf goldenrod or rough-stemmed goldenrod , is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). It is native to North America, where it is widespread across eastern and central Canada (from Newfoundland to Ontario) and the eastern and central United States (Maine west as far as Wisconsin and Iowa, south to Florida and Texas). It is usually found in wet to mesic habitats.
Photo: Tom Norton, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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