Tall Goldenrod
Solidago altissima var. altissima
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Tall Goldenrod is a Virginia native local-ecotype wildflower that typically reaches 2-6 ft and blooms from late summer into fall with masses of yellow flowers. It is a keystone goldenrod with exceptional value for butterflies, native bees, and other late-season pollinators.
About This Plant
- Sun Exposure
- Full Sun, Part Shade
- Soil Moisture
- Dry, Dry to Medium, Medium
- Height
- 2-6 ft
- Spread
- 2-4 ft
- Bloom Time
- Fall, Late Summer
- Bloom Color
- Yellow
- Garden Goals
- Deer Resistant, Feed Birds, Help Native Bees, Host Caterpillars, Support Pollinators
- Garden Uses
- Meadow; pollinator garden; large naturalized areas; erosion control; wildlife garden
- Wildlife Value
- 100+ Lepidoptera species reported for goldenrods
Tall Goldenrod grows best in full sun to part shade in dry to medium, well-drained soils and tolerates drought once established. It spreads strongly by creeping rhizomes and can form dense colonies, making it best suited to meadows, pollinator gardens, erosion-control plantings, and larger naturalized areas. Its nectar-rich flowers attract bees, butterflies, and beetles, it supports the Wavy-lined Emerald moth, and its stems can provide nesting habitat for native bees. Goldenrods in the Solidago genus are especially important keystone plants for caterpillars and pollen-specialist bees.
Good to know: Tall, rhizomatous and colony-forming; drought tolerant; may spread aggressively; valuable late-season nectar