Weed Information: Solidago canadensis (goldenrod, Canada)
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Solidago canadensis (goldenrod, Canada)

Family: Asteraceae

Description

A tall, native, perennial wildflower with toothed leaves and curved clusters of small, yellow flower heads. The secondary veins in the back of the leaves form a dark network, like old cracked leather. Due to past usage in the reference books associated with this program, Solidago lepida (formerly Solidago canadensis var. lepida) is included here. Solidago altissima as used by SWSS. = Solidago canadensis var. scabra.

Characteristics

Flower Color
  • Yellow
Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)
  • Head
  • Panicle
Number of Petals
  • 0 (no petals)
  • 5 petals
  • more than 10 petals
Petal Separation
  • Completely free to base
  • United > 75% of length
Petal Tip
  • Pointed
  • Rounded
Flower Symmetry
  • Flowers regular
Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
  • 6 mm (.24 inch)
Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)
  • 1 mm (.04 inch)
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
Number of Sepals
  • sepals lacking
  • 8 sepals
  • 9 sepals
  • 10 sepals
  • more than 10 sepals
Sepal Separation
  • Completely free to base
Sepal Tip
  • Pointed
  • Rounded
Flower Sex
  • Bisexual (perfect)
Number of Styles
  • 1 style
Number of Stamens
  • 5 stamens
Stamens Attached to the Petals
  • Stamens attached to the petals
Stamens Connate (united)
  • Anthers united, syngynoecious

Carpel Separation
  • Carpels united (or one)
Number of Carpels
  • 1 carpel
Ovary Position
  • Inferior (epigynous)
Fruit Type
  • Achene
Fruit Length at Maturity
  • 1 mm (.04 inch) or less
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
Fruit Width at Maturity
  • 1 mm (.04 inch) or less
Burs
  • Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement
  • Alternate
Leaf Type
  • Simple (including lobed leaves)
Stipules
  • Lacking
Tendrils
  • Tendrils absent
Venation
  • Arcuate
  • Parallel
  • Pinnate
Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio
  • Petiole absent (leaf sessile)
Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
Leaf Width
  • 5 - 10 mm (.20 - .40 inch)
  • 1 - 2 cm (.40 - .80 inch)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.6 inches)
Leaf Shape (simple leaves only)
  • Lanceolate
  • Linear or filiform
Leaf or Leaflet Margin
  • Dentate
  • Entire
  • Serrate
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base
  • Acute (cuneate)
  • Acuminate (attenuate)
Leaf or Leaflet Tip
  • Acute
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface
  • Glabrous (NO hairs)
  • Scabrous (like sand paper)
Succulence
  • Not succulent

Milky Juice
  • Juice NOT milky (watery)
Woodiness
  • Herbaceous
Spines or Thorns
  • Spines or Thorns ABSENT
Aromatic (vegetative structures)
  • Not aromatic
Life Cycle
  • Perennial
Growth Habit (while flowering)
  • Erect, columnar (narrow)
Plant Height at Maturity
  • 4 - 6 dm (1.3 - 2.0 feet)
  • 6 - 8 dm (2.0 - 2.6 feet)
  • 8 - 10 dm (2.6 - 3.3 feet)
  • 1 - 1.5 meters (3.3 - 5.0 feet)
  • 1.5 - 2.0 meters (5.0 - 6.6 feet)
Wind Dissemination
  • Fruit, seed, or spore wind borne
Moisture Regime
  • Seasonally saturated
  • Mesic
Chlorophyll
  • Present

Stem Cross Section
  • Round
Flowering Stem Leaves
  • Stem uniformly leafy
Main Stem Branches
  • Main stem branched

Root or Vegetative Propagule
  • Rhizomatous

US State
  • Arkansas
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Illinois
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Massachusetts
  • Maine
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • Mississippi
  • North Carolina
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • West Virginia
  • Indiana
  • Maryland
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Iowa
  • Idaho
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • North Dakota
  • New Mexico
  • Nevada
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • Nebraska
Canadian Province or Territory
  • British Columbia
  • New Brunswick
  • Nova Scotia
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Quebec
  • Alberta
  • Manitoba
  • Newfoundland
  • Saskatchewan
  • Yukon
  • Northwest Territory
Other
  • Labrador

  • The Biology of Canadian Weeds: Canadian Journal of Plant Science Vol60Pg1393
  • Common Weeds of Canada, Mulligan 1987 (ISBN 0-910053-59-9) See page: 129
  • Common Weeds of the United States, 1971 (ISBN 0-486-20504-5) See page: 430
  • Gilkey`s Weeds of the Pacific Northwest, 1980 (ISBN 0-88246-039-0) See page: 325
  • How to Know the Weeds, 1972, (ISBN# 0-697-04880-2) See page: 193
  • Identification Guide to the Weeds of Quebec, 1999 (ISBN# 2-89457-174-7) See page: 82
  • Manual of Ohio Weeds, 1931 Ohio Ag. Exp. Station Bull. # 475, See page: 96
  • Northwest Weeds, 1990 (ISBN 0-87842-249-8) See page: 117
  • Ontario Weeds, 1992 Agdex 640, Publication #505 See page: 226
  • Selected Weeds of Oregon, 1985 and 1989 Supplement (s) Oregon State Dept. of Agriculture, See page: 93
  • Weeds, 1955 (1980) Walter Conrad Muenscher, ISBN# 0-8014-1266-8 See page: 495
  • Weeds, A Golden Guide, 1972 ISBN#0-307-24353-2 See page: 121
  • Weeds and Poisonous Plants of Wyoming and Utah 1987 (ISBN 0-941570-06-1) See page: 208
  • Weeds of Canada, 1970 Canada Dept. of Ag., Pub. # 948, See page: 161
  • Weeds of Colorado, 1990 Cooperative Extension, Colorado State Univ. Bulletin 521A, See page: 147
  • Weeds of Nova Scotia, 1986 (ISBN# 0-88871-063) See page: 34
  • Weeds of the Midwestern United States & Central Canada, University of Georgia 2010, ISBN#0-8203-3506-1 See page: 119
  • Weeds of the Northeast, 1956, Univ. of Delaware Field Manual #1 See species #: 146
  • Weeds of the Northeast, 1997 Cornell University ISBN# 0-8014-8334-4 See page: 156
  • Weeds of the South, University of Georgia 2009, ISBN#0-8203-3046-9 See page: 101
  • Weeds of the United States and Their Control, Lorenzi 1987, ISBN# 0-442-25884-4 See page: 325
  • Weeds of the West, 1992 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 174
  • Weeds of the West, 2000 (ISBN 0941570-13-4) See page: 174
  • Weeds of Utah, 1971 UAES Special Report 21, See page: 105
  • Wildly Successful Plants, A Handbook of North American Weeds, 1977 (ISBN# 0-02-528850-4) See page: 141,145,147
  • Listed as a `Weed` by the Biota of North America Program, 2008 x
  • Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X
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