Quick Guide to the Common Goldenrods of New England

by Arieh Tal

This guide should be used as a multi-dimensional "key" to the common goldenrods of New England. It does not include regionally uncommon or rare species. Please note that any one of the "common" species listed in this guide may be locally common in your area, uncommon in your area or even rare. All of the species covered by this guide are native to New England.

Most people would agree that the goldenrods are famous for being difficult to identify. However, it's not impossible to do, and the encouraging fact is that the number of "distinct" species (not including hybrids) found in our region is relatively small - much smaller than the number of grass or sedge species. These are the species you are most likely to find in the wild, most of the time, in most locations you visit. Chances are, if you're in an open (sunny), disturbed (by humans) site, the species of goldenrods you'll find are on this list. The rare species tend to be found in unusual habitats at more remote, undisturbed sites, as for example calcareous outcrops or bogs.

Unlike a typical key, which uses a binary decision structure beginning from a single characteristic (such as floral structure), this guide allows the user to begin the identification process using any one of the characteristics or any combination of the characteristics. Thus, if flowers are not present, one can still attempt to identify a plant using this guide with a reasonable probability of success. Please note that some additional, possibly helpful characteristics (such as leaf surface & margin characteristics) are omitted from this guide due to their complexity and the lack of space in the table. Please also note also that the goldenrods are notorious for hybridizing with each other, exceeded only by the asters, and that a particular plant may not fit perfectly the stereotype of one species. These are the typical or most-often-found characteristics of the stereotypes. Species are listed in groups according to coarsely-defined clusters of similar characteristics. For example, the top group of 5 species are tall, grow in open/disturbed areas, have yellow ray flowers, secund, etc. One is likely to find them confusing to identify, and thus they are listed together to show similarities and differences.

The information in this guide is based on extensive, ongoing field observations in several New England states, and beyond. The primary reference for this work is John C. Semple & Gordon S. Ringius. The Goldenrods of Ontario, revised edition, 1992, University of Waterloo Press, Waterloo, Ontario. Errors or omissions in the below information are solely the responsibility of the author of this guide, and in no way the responsibility of Semple and Ringius.

* As a caveat, individuals of sun-loving species may sometimes be found struggling in shaded habitats. A seed falls where it falls and the resulting plant does its best.

Scientific Name	Common Name	Typical Habitat	Typical Height	Ray Flower Color	Inflorescence Shape	Floral Arrangement	Stem & Branch Surface	Leaf Shape	Number & Pattern of Leaf Veins	Growth Pattern
Solidago canadensis	Canada	open; disturbed	tall	yellow	term/pan; pyramidal	secund	glabrate below; pubescent above	narrowly lanceolate; sessile	3 linear	colony; rhizomatous
Solidago altissima	Tall	open; disturbed	tall	yellow	term/pan; pyramidal	secund	densely pubescent	lanceolate; sessile	3 linear	large colony; rhizomatous
Solidago gigantea	Late	open; disturbed	tall	yellow	term/pan; pyramidal	secund	glabrous; glaucous	lanceolate; sessile	3 linear	large colony; rhizomatous
Solidago juncea	Early	open; disturbed	tall	yellow	term/pan; not pyramidal	secund	glabrous	lanceolate; sessile	1 linear	clump from caudex
Solidago rugosa	Wrinkled-leaved; Rough-stemmed	open; disturbed	tall	yellow	term/pan; widely-branched or divergent	secund	densely pubescent; coarse	ovate; sessile	1 feather	large colony; rhizomatous
Solidago arguta	Sharp-leaved or "Forest"	wooded	medium	yellow	term/pan; divergent	secund	glabrate below; pubescent above	ovate; lower winged petiolate	1 feather	clump from caudex
Solidago flexicaulis	Zigzig (Note: stems bent at nodes.)	wooded	medium	yellow	axil/racem	not secund	glabrate below; pubescent above	lower ovate wing/petiol; upper lanc	1 feather	colony; rhizomatous
Solidago caesia	Blue-stemmed	wooded	medium	yellow	axil/racem	not secund	glabrate; glaucous	narrowly lanceolate	1 feather	clump from caudex
Solidago bicolor	Silverrod	wooded or open	short	white	narrow; axil/racem or terminal/racem	not secund	pubescent	lower oblanc, wing/petiol; upper ellip/sessile	1 feather	clump from caudex
Solidago nemoralis	Gray	open; disturbed	short	yellow	term/pan; narrowly pyramidal	secund	finely pubescent; puberulent	lower oblanc, wing/petiol; upper ellip/sessile	1 feather	clump from caudex
Solidago puberula	Downy	open or part shade	short	yellow	term/pan; narrow	not secund	finely pubescent; puberulent	lower oblanc, wing/petiol; upper ellip/sessile	1 feather	clump from caudex
Solidago speciosa	Showy	open	tall	yellow	term/pan; branches racemiform	not secund	glabrate below; pubescent above	lanceolate; sessile	1 feather	clump from caudex
Solidago sempervirens	Seaside	open; shoreline	tall	yellow	term/pan; pyramidal	secund	glabrous	lanceolate; subclasping	1 feather	clump from caudex
Euthamia graminifolia	Lance-leaved	open; disturbed	medium	yellow	term/corymb; flat-topped	not secund	glabrate; pubescent	linear	3 linear	colony; rhizomatous
Euthamia tenuifolia	Slender-leaved	open; disturbed	medium	yellow	term/corymb; flat-topped	not secund	glabrate; pubescent	linear	1 linear	colony; rhizomatous

Height: Typical heights for species: Tall = 3 feet or greater. Medium = 2 to 4 feet. Short = 2 feet or less. Growing conditions may cause individuals to attain atypical heights for their species.

Inflorescence shapes: Note that inflorescence shapes are highly variable, depending on growing conditions and the robustness and health of the plant. They are not always a good definitive characteristic of the species. This characteristic is listed here only as a rough, "typical" guide. Term/Pan = terminal/paniculiform. Term/Corymb = terminal/corymbiform. Term/Racem = terminal/racemiform. Axil/Racem = axillary/racemiform.

© 2002 Arieh Tal. All rights reserved.