In Praise of Goldenrods

Carolina Goldenrod (Solidago arguta)

Chapman's Goldenrod (Solidado odora var. chapmanii)
Over the years, goldenrods (Solidago spp.) have been impugned as valuable landscape plants because of their supposed connection with hay fever. Of course, those of us that landscape with native wildflowers know better, but that still hasn't made the genus a staple in most landscapes and that is a shame. Goldenrods have a great place in a wildflower garden for pollinators.
Not every goldenrod, however, plays nice in a mixed garden. They tend to spread rapidly by underground stems (rhizomes, to be exact). In a small landscape, like the one I'm planting, that trait is not to be embraced. In a large meadow, however, goldenrods can rapidly fill up an open space.
I've been experimenting with goldenrods now for a good many years and I've added four species to my small mixed wildflower bed. These are the ones that I've found to be relatively well behaved in such a setting. The ones I've added are: Carolina goldenrod (S. arguta), Chapman's (S. odora var. chapmanii), downy ragged goldenrod (S. perfoliata) and wand goldenrod (S. stricta). I have used two others in large wildflower meadows that I've installed elsewhere  - pinebarren (S. fistulosa) and Leavenworth's (S. leavenworthii), but they are aggressive in small settings. The first two of my wildflower garden goldenrods have just now come into bloom and they are bringing in pollinators of all kinds.
Although goldenrods produce small flowers, a great many bees and butterflies find them irresistible. Over the years, I've noticed that, given a great many choices, monarch butterflies are drawn to goldenrods. Bees of all sizes also seem to favor them when given choices. What goldenrods have going for them are an abundance of flowers during their blooming season.  Each plant produces hundreds of flower heads before they're finished for the season and each head has dozens of individual flowers. Pollinators don't have far to move once they land on the head of a goldenrod and that is a major draw. Movement betrays their presence to potential predators so not having far to move between flowers is important to their survival.
Not every goldenrod blooms at the same time, so my four species will provide huge quantities of nectar over the next three months. Chapman's is always the first to bloom. Wand goldenrod seems to take up the tail end most years. Its tall spire of flowers gives it the appearance of a blazing star (Liatris spp.). Each year, I get inquiries from folks wondering if there is a yellow blazing star. They are seeing wand goldenrod.
All of my goldenrods are suckering, but not doing so aggressively. Over the next few years, they will fill in the open spaces that I originally left for them. That will prevent the weeds that also desire these open spaces. I may also have to weed a few out over the years too, but that will be easy to do.
A pollinator garden needs diversity and it needs a diversity of blooms for as many months as possible. It can't be done relying on just a few species and it shouldn't be done with species that can't be easily controlled. I have now added 50 species of wildflowers to my 9 x 20 foot plot. I've got another half dozen left to add that I'm growing from seed. Over time, they will move about and find their own balance. It won't look as formal as it is now planted, but if I've done this correctly, each will have a spot to prosper in. That community will have goldenrods.

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