Common Name: bog goldenrod
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asteraceae
Native Range: Eastern North America
Zone: 4 to 8
Height: 2.00 to 5.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 4.00 feet
Bloom Time: August to October
Bloom Description: Yellow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Deer, Wet Soil
Culture
Easily grown in average, slightly acidic, medium to wet, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates light shade. Also tolerates average soils, but prefers boggy ones. May be grown from seed and may self-seed in the garden. This is a rhizomatous, spreading plant. Plants may self-seed in the garden.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Solidago uliginosa, commonly called bog goldenrod, is a rhizomatous, herbaceous upright perennial that typically grows to 2-5’ tall. Unlike most species of goldenrod, this species thrives in wet ground. It is native to bogs, marshes, wet meadows, fens and water margins from Newfoundland and Quebec to Minnesota south to Maryland, Ohio, Indiana and in the mountains to Tennessee and North Carolina.
Rigid upright stems are clad with clasping, narrow, oblong-lanceolate leaves, with lower leaves to 10” long and upper leaves to 2” long. Stems are topped from August to October by inflorescences (to 7” long) of tiny yellow flowers. Inflorescences are variable in shape, typically being narrow conical but sometimes being pyramidal panicles with flowers arranged on only one side of the stem.
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.
Specific epithet comes from the Latin word uliginosus meaning of swamps.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Rust may occur. Watch for powdery mildew and leaf spot. Plants will spread in optimum growing conditions, but are not considered to be invasive.
Uses
Interesting goldenrod for moist to wet areas. Plants grow as somewhat unexceptional mounds of green foliage until the flowers explode into bloom in late summer.