Family: Asteraceae
giant goldenrod, late goldenrod, smooth goldenrod
[Aster latissimifolius var. serotinus (Mill.) Kuntze, more...]
Emmet J. Judziewicz
Robert W. Freckmann
University of Wisconsin - Madison (WIS-VP)
Etymology: Solidago: from Latin solido, meaning "to make whole or heal" and a reference to the supposed, medicinal qualities of these plants
Plants: erect, perennial, 1'-7' tall forb forming large, dense patches; leafy stems not hairy but often with a whitish bloom
Leaves: narrow, pointed at both ends, stalkless, all mostly the same size, sharply toothed, and 3-veined
Flowers: head with 10-17 tiny, yellow rays; firm, blunt, green bracts (phyllaries); inflorescence a 10" open, spreading cluster with the heads mostly along one side of the often backward-curving, long branches; blooms July-Oct.
Fruits: dry seed with short hairs on fluffy pappus
Habitat: dry, moderate moisture, wet; woods, meadows, prairies, shores
Conservation Status: Native
Plants: erect, perennial, 1'-7' tall forb forming large, dense patches; leafy stems not hairy but often with a whitish bloom
Leaves: narrow, pointed at both ends, stalkless, all mostly the same size, sharply toothed, and 3-veined
Flowers: head with 10-17 tiny, yellow rays; firm, blunt, green bracts (phyllaries); inflorescence a 10" open, spreading cluster with the heads mostly along one side of the often backward-curving, long branches; blooms July-Oct.
Fruits: dry seed with short hairs on fluffy pappus
Habitat: dry, moderate moisture, wet; woods, meadows, prairies, shores
Conservation Status: Native
Common throughout Wisconsin in open wet areas including wet fields, meadows, roadside ditches, marshes, fens, wet prairies, stream banks, and lake beaches. It resembles and often grows with S. altissima and S. canadensis (with which it may hybridize) but can be distinguished by stems glabrous up to the inflorescence with pubescent branches in the inflorescence.
Flora of North America: Flora of North America Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 3, Wetland Indicator = FACW Atlas of the Wisconsin Prairie and Savanna Flora: by T.S. Cochrane & H.H. Iltis: habitat, distribution infomation / flowering and fruiting times USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos USGS - Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin
Robert W. Freckmann
Robert W. Freckmann
Robert W. Freckmann
Emmet J. Judziewicz
