Common Name: goldenrod
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asteraceae
Zone: 4 to 8
Height: 0.75 to 1.00 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 2.50 feet
Bloom Time: August to September
Bloom Description: Yellow
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Ground Cover, Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Erosion, Clay Soil, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates poor, dry soils and light shade, but performs best in full sun.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Solidago cutleri, sometimes commonly called alpine goldenrod or Cutler’s alpine goldenrod, is a compact goldenrod that is native to sunny mountain areas in New England and northern New York. It typically grows to only 12” tall. Tiny yellow flowers in tufts cover this plant with bloom in late summer.
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.
GOLDRUSH is the result of an open-pollination of unnamed selections of Solidago cutleri that occurred in 1998. GOLDRUSH is reportedly superior to the species in the following ways: (1) larger, more uniform and less straggly plants, (2) brighter yellow ray flowers and (3) better resistance to powdery mildew. GOLDRUSH grows to 12” tall but spreads to as much as 30” over time. It forms attractive mounds of lanceolate, serrated, medium green leaves. In August and September, the foliage mound becomes covered with tiny daisy-like bright yellow flowers densely packed into 4” long terminal and axillary rods. U.S. Plant Patent PP16,003 was issued for Solidago cutleri ‘Solbut’ on September 27, 2005. Patent documents list Blooms of Bressingham Plant Varieties Ltd. as the assignee, and Blooms of Bressingham currently list this patent number for plants they are selling as Solidago cutleri ‘Goldrush’.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Rust and leaf spot may occur. Reportedly has good resistance to powdery mildew.
Uses
May be used as a specimen, in groups or massed as a ground cover. This is a compact plant that provides excellent late summer to early fall bloom for rock gardens, beds, border fronts, cottage gardens or native plant areas. Containers.