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Canada goldenrod
Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)
Illinois Status: common, native
Features and Behaviors
FEATURES
Canada goldenrod is a perennial herb, having upright stems that are smooth at the base, hairy near the top and branched. The dense leaves are arranged alternately along the stem. Each simple, lance-shaped, hairy leaf has edges that are sharply-toothed. Flowers are crowded together into heads. Two kinds of yellow flowers are present. The outer ones are raylike, while the inner ones are tubular. There are nine to 15 rays per flower. Both types of flowers are fertile. The one-seeded fruit is dry and hard. The seeds may be smooth or hairy, but all of them have a tuft of hairs at the tip. Canada goldenrod may attain a height of one to eight feet.
BEHAVIORS
Canada goldenrod may be found throughout Illinois. It grows in open woods, fields, roadsides and thickets. Flowers are produced from August through October. Insects are the main agent of pollination.
Illinois Range
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Habitats
Aquatic Habitats
wet prairies and fens
Woodland Habitats
coniferous forests; upland deciduous forests
Prairie and Edge Habitats
black soil prairie; dolomite prairie; edge; gravel prairie; hill prairie; sand prairie; shrub prairie
