Solidago speciosa

It’s no mystery why this species is called Showy Goldenrod! From its impressive height paired with its densely clustered vibrant yellow flowers, a stand of this species in bloom is a quite spectacular sight. The upright stems host foot-long rods of golden yellow flowers in the early fall followed by wispy seed heads that persist through the winter. Removing the spent flower clusters encourages more blooms. Typically found in dry to mesic soils of woodland and forest openings, fields, clearings, powerlines, roadsides.Populations seem to be sparsely distributed, with most populations growing in “typical goldenrod habitats” of grassy forest edges and fields. Showy Goldenrod is a tall species, with its usually unbranched, reddish stems typically 3 to  6 feet and more erect than other goldenrod species. Of the 125 species of goldenrod that occur throughout the United States this is one of the showiest. The plants often form large clumps and may form colonies, so it is definitely a species to highly consider when planting slopes, prairie gardens or even cut flower gardens!