Asteraceae : Solidago mollis
Family Name
Asteraceae
Common Name
velvety goldenrod
Description
Solidago mollis is a perennial herb with a single or clusters of several ascending, grayish green stems arising from a rhizome and growing from 10 to 70 cm tall. There are both basal and alternate cauline leaves, thickish, firm, 3-nerved, elliptic to lanceolate, 3-8 cm long and 1-3 cm wide. The leaves are sessile or nearly so, the margins are subentire to irregularly toothed, and their size is reduced in the upper regions of the stem. The inflorescence is a dense, compact to elongated panicle of yellow heads. The heads have an involucre of overlapping bracts with a total height of 3.5-6 mm, with 6-10 ray flowers, corollas 3-4 mm tall with ligules 1-3mm in length, and 3-8 disk flowers, 2-5 mm tall. The achenes are short ~2 mm and hairy with a pappus of bristles. Velvety goldenrod blooms from July through October on dry or drying open prairies and open woods through South Dakota.
Horticulture Notes
Seed Collection: Collect seeds in late summer and fall.
Germination: Seeds are dormant and are best planted in the fall.
Vegetative Propagation: Clusters of plants can be separated in the spring.
Soils: Well drained sandy to sandy loam soils.
Light: Full sun to partial shade.
Water: Tolerates moist to dry soils.
Additional Notes
Velvety Goldenrod is an attractive addition to a native plant garden. It provide bright yellow flowers late into the fall. The flowers attract native bumblebees and butterflies. This species spreads by rhizomes and will occupy the space given it.