Native perennial • Fall nectar powerhouse • Keystone pollinator plant
Solidago speciosa is a showy, upright goldenrod that delivers high-value nectar late in the season when pollinators need it most. Brilliant gold plumes illuminate fall gardens and feed migrating butterflies, native bees, and beneficial insects.
Full sun
Handles partial sun but blooms best in open sites
At least 6 hours direct
More sun = stronger color + upright stems.
Moderate watering first year
Drought tolerant after establishment
Deep watering > frequent shallow watering
Avoid soggy soil. Thrives in dry, lean sites over time.
Wide soil tolerance
Prefers sandy or well-drained soils
Avoid heavy fertilizer
Does well in poor native soils
USDA Zones 4–9
Heat tolerant
Handles cold winters easily
Late summer through fall
One of the most important late nectar plants
Supports:
migrating monarchs
native bees
wasps
beneficial predatory insects
fly pollinators
Excellent timing when many other natives fade.
Upright clumping
2–4 ft tall
Slowly spreading rhizomes
Not aggressive like some goldenrods
One of the best for formal garden beds
Misconception Clarifier
Goldenrods do not cause allergies, ragweed does.
Goldenrods are insect-pollinated. Ragweed is wind-pollinated.
Depth:
Plant crown at soil surface
Spacing:
18–24 inches
Divide every 2–3 years to maintain vigor.
Native pollinator gardens
Prairie beds
Meadow plantings
Fall display gardens
Naturalistic borders
Drought tolerant designs
Roadside/native median edges
Companion Plants
Pairs beautifully with:
Asters (Symphyotrichum)
Liatris
Rudbeckia
Monarda
Coreopsis
Echinacea
Little bluestem
Indiangrass
A keystone fall nectar source, especially vital to late-season bees and migrating butterflies. Essential for ecological garden design in the Southeast.
Too much shade or fertile soil.
Crowded, shady plantings. Increase airflow.
Needs full sun.