Solidago spp. (Asteraceae)
Origin: Cosmopolitan, although mostly New World.
Fall is one of the best times of year in Florida to see native wildflowers blooming. We have so many different habitats represented in our state, from sandy beaches to wet swamps and everything in between, and wildflowers can be found in all of them. A versatile genus which has species represented in many of these diverse habitats, and can be seen blooming everywhere right now, is Solidago. This wildflower can be found from the beaches to the prairies to recently burned pinelands.
Solidago sempervirens, also known as seaside goldenrod, grows as one might guess by the sea, or Gulf, as the case may be. Solidago odora grows in open, sandy, sunny locations inland, and Solidago fistulosa grows in pinelands, preferring bright light and doing its best soon after a fire when the forest is open, allowing in more sun. No matter the species, these plants all share a few things in common: they are perennials, which means they live for more than one season. But the part of the plant we see, the stem and leaves and flowers, dies back to the ground after flowering. A woody rhizome lives on underground, ready to push up a new stem the following year. All of the native goldenrods have yellow blooms, and all are relatively tall for a wildflower; Solidago sempervirens can put out spikes six to seven feet tall.
Sometimes Solidago species are cultivated in gardens, especially if you are interested in native plants and wildflowers, or trying to attract butterflies. They all like sunny locations. The best places right now to see goldenrods in flower are area beaches (especially alongside the road on the way to area beaches) and off the sides of roadways east of I-75. Areas which were burned last spring or summer are especially golden at the moment. Here at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens we have a rather large patch of Solidago sempervirens blooming on our private beach, between the Tidal Lagoon and Sarasota Bay. Come check it out, and mind the bees, they’re everywhere!
Text by David Troxell