It is a weed of waste places, which turns wherever it grows into a yellow-gold slice of sunshine on the ground, is Solidago spp. or more commonly known to many as the annoying weed, Goldenrod. While it is known as a weed, it also provides a vibrant splash of color to the edges of fields, in ditches and other abandoned or disturbed sites.
In fact, there have been certain species of goldenrod that have been selected as cultivated varieties because they are consistent and very appealing in the landscape; especially, when they are paired with a purple flowering plant, like Symphyotrichum novae-angliae or New England Aster, which cause both of the colors to really stand out in the landscape or weedscape.
Surprisingly, one would never guess that there are more than 100 species of this herbaceous perennial and most of them are actually native to North America. Therefore, it only makes sense that these different species of goldenrod are found growing across many environments with various types of soil conditions. Their uses vary within the landscape too, so for those gardens with tidy borders, one of the clump-forming, noninvasive selections, like Solidago sphacelata 'Golden Fleece' being one of the most compact varieties, might work perfectly. For a more naturalized setting, gardens might be able to tolerate the taller selections, like Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' and/or others which may self-seed or spread via rhizomes. Typically, most goldenrods are winter hardy in our area and grow very well and are rarely afflicted with disease or insect problems.
So get outside and enjoy that local slice of earthly sunshine, growing near you today!
