| Description | Old Field Goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis) is a distinctive goldenrod that has an unbranched stem with a narrow flower inflorescence that arches toward one side. As with all Goldenrod's, they are not the culprit that cause allergy problems. Their pollen is relatively heavy and is carried away by insects, not the wind. |
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| Pronunciation | (sol-i-DAH-go) |
| Plant Type | Wild Flowers, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | at least 5 |
| Sunlight | full |
| Moisture | normal to dry |
| Soil & Site | open woods, dry, sandy,rocky soil, dry prairie, old fields, tall grass prairie |
| Flowers | golden yellow, small 1/4" wide, form a narrow elongated arching spray or plume and often one sided which is called secund. Flowers on individual plants may bloom at different times extending blooming season. |
| Fruit | hairy achenes |
| Leaves | gray green, alternate, rough and progressively get smaller towards the top of the plant |
| Stems | covered with gray hair, unbranched, gray-green to purplish-green |
| Roots | fibrous |
| Dimensions | 1-3 feet, single plants |
| Maintenance | will reseed |
| Propagation | stratified seeds |
| Misc Facts | "Genus name comes from the Latin words solidus meaning whole and ago meaning to make in reference to the medicinal healing properties of some species plants. Specific epithet means growing in woods in reference to one of the locations where this plant is found growing in the wild." (#144) AKA: Gray Goldenrod, Prairie Goldenrod, Oldfield Goldenrod, Grayleaf Goldenrod, Gray-leaved Goldenrod, Dyersweed Goldenrod, Dwarf Goldenrod, Field Goldenrod |
| Author's Notes | The most interesting thing to me about this plant is its one-sided, nodding inflorescence. First saw this plant at the Wehr Nature Center in Franklin, Wisconsin (USA) on a hot, sunny slope where the plants were less than a foot tall. |
| Notes & Reference | #08- Peterson's Guide to Wild Flowers (Peterson McKenny), #09-The Prairie Garden (J. Robert Smith with Beatrice Smith), #45-Prairie Propagation Handbook (Harold Rock), #56-Tall Grass Prairie Wildflowers (Doug Ladd), #144-Missouri Botanical Gardens web site (www.missouribotanicalgarden.org), #157-The Sunflower Family in the Upper Midwest (Thomas Antonio, Susanne Masi) |
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