North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Solidago erecta

Solidago erecta Pursh

slender goldenrod, showy goldenrod

Synonym(s): Solidago speciosa var. erecta

Image ID: 18849
Image by: Ware, Richard & Teresa
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: SOER
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Solidago erecta
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-09-18

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: SOLID
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Solidago
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Goldenrod
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of 90-110 species, herbs, primarily North American, but with a few species in South America, Macaronesia, and Eurasia. The placement of the flat-topped goldenrods has been controversial; they are here included in Solidago rather than being treated as the separate genus Oligoneuron.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: Several related genera readily mistaken for (and/or sometimes included in) Solidago are included here as keying �failsafes�.
GENUS REFERENCES: Semple & Cook in FNA (2006b); Semple & Peirson (2013)=V; Semple (2013)=U; Nesom (1990); Cronquist (1980)=SE; Morton (1973, 1974); Zhang (1996); Cook & Semple (2004); Nesom (1993b)=Z; Heard & Semple (1988)=Y; Brouillet & Semple (1981)=X; Cronquist (1980)=SE; Braun (1942). Portions of the key adapted (in part) from various sources, especially FNA and SE. [also see Brintonia, Chrysoma, and Euthamia]

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: ASTERA
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Asteraceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: Dumortier 1822 or COMPOSITAE Giseke 1792
FAMILY COMMON: Aster Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 1500-1700 genera and 20,000-25,000 species, shrubs, herbs, trees, and vines, cosmopolitan in distribution.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Cronquist (1980)=SE throughout family treatment.

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect, rhizomatous perennial of dry woodlands and woodland borders, old fields, grassy balds, barrens and roadsides.
STEMS: Stems unbranched, smooth (at least below inflorescence).
LEAVES: Leaves basal and some alternate on stem; basal leaves oval to lance-shaped, to 12 in. long, toothed, hairy on margins and on the winged, tapering petiole; stem leaves smaller.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Composite flowers (heads) along short, widely spaced branches of a terminal spike; heads about 1/4 in. long, consisting of 5-9 yellow ray florets encircling a small center disk of tiny, yellow, tubular florets.
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 1-4 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate, Basal
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Mixed
BLOOM TIME: Aug-Oct

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
						x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: Yellow

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
				x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Dry forests, Woods margins
NATIVE RANGE: eastern United States

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Slender Goldenrod stands out among the many local roadside goldenrods for its graceful upright un-branched form. After years of peering out car windows saying ‘what is that great goldenrod?’ we are pleased to be able to offer it on our plant sale. Try planting this tough drought tolerant perennial with late blooming liatris or asters for late season color. The genus Solidago supports up to 112 lepidoptera species.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 3
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE: 2
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
235	HORT	2008-11-30		View
361	HORT	2010-01-01	Poythress	View
1427	HORT	2006-11-17	Bryan	View
1746	HORT	2005-01-01		View
2130	NPMD	2020-11-22	Kunz	View
2546	NPMD	2021-12-17	Pil	View
2638	NPMD	2022-11-21	Marzolf	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
236	2011-0064	2011-04-05	235	View
357	2011-0229	2011-11-04	361	View
3642	1991-0328			View
4023	1992-0179			View
5515	1995-0638			View
6326	1995-1458			View
9382	2021-0045	2021-04-05	235	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
515	236	29	NCBG staff	2011-03-29	View
516	236	32	NCBG staff	2011-03-29	View
517	236	32	NCBG staff	2011-11-01	View
871	357	43	NCBG staff	2011-11-02	View
5941	3642	27	NCBG staff	1991-04-12	View
6351	4023	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View
8029	5515	204	NCBG staff	1993-01-01	View
8981	6326	2	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
12624	9382	234	Wait	2020-06-26	View
12625	9382	235	Wait	2020-06-26	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: SOER
USDA Common Name: Showy Goldenrod
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, CT, DC, DE, GA, IN, KY, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Solidago erecta
COMMON NAME:
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, FNA, G, K, Pa, RAB, S, SE, Va, W, WV; < S. erecta - FNA (also see S. porteri); = S. speciosa Nuttall var. Erecta (Pursh) MacMillan]
PHENOLOGY: Aug-Oct.
HABITAT: Woodlands, old fields, woodland borders, grassy balds.
COMMENTS: NY and CT south to GA, AL, and MS.
RANGE MAP: Solidago erecta.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Asteraceae Dumortier 1822 or COMPOSITAE Giseke 1792 (Aster Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 1500-1700 genera and 20,000-25,000 species, shrubs, herbs, trees, and vines, cosmopolitan in distribution.
REFERENCE: Cronquist (1980)=SE throughout family treatment.

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Solidago L. (Goldenrod)
SUMMARY: A genus of 90-110 species, herbs, primarily North American, but with a few species in South America, Macaronesia, and Eurasia. The placement of the flat-topped goldenrods has been controversial; they are here included in Solidago rather than being treated as the separate genus Oligoneuron.
REFERENCE: Semple & Cook in FNA (2006b); Semple & Peirson (2013)=V; Semple (2013)=U; Nesom (1990); Cronquist (1980)=SE; Morton (1973, 1974); Zhang (1996); Cook & Semple (2004); Nesom (1993b)=Z; Heard & Semple (1988)=Y; Brouillet & Semple (1981)=X; Cronquist (1980)=SE; Braun (1942). Portions of the key adapted (in part) from various sources, especially FNA and SE. [also see Brintonia, Chrysoma, and Euthamia]

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Solidago erecta in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Solidago erecta in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Solidago erecta in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Solidago erecta in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Solidago erecta in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Solidago erecta

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 18849 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 18849 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 25797 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)