North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Solidago caesia

Solidago caesia L.

axillary goldenrod, gulf coast axillary goldenrod, wreath goldenrod

Synonym(s): Solidago axillaris, Solidago caesia var. axillaris, Solidago caesia var. caesia

Image ID: 17425
Image by: Sorrie, Bruce A.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: SOCA4
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Solidago caesia
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-03-25

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: SOLID
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Solidago
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Goldenrod
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of 90-110 species, herbs, primarily North American, but with a few species in South America, Macaronesia, and Eurasia. The placement of the flat-topped goldenrods has been controversial; they are here included in Solidago rather than being treated as the separate genus Oligoneuron.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: Several related genera readily mistaken for (and/or sometimes included in) Solidago are included here as keying “failsafes”.
GENUS REFERENCES: Semple & Cook in FNA (2006b); Semple & Peirson (2013)=V; Semple (2013)=U; Nesom (1990); Cronquist (1980)=SE; Morton (1973, 1974); Zhang (1996); Cook & Semple (2004); Nesom (1993b)=Z; Heard & Semple (1988)=Y; Brouillet & Semple (1981)=X; Cronquist (1980)=SE; Braun (1942). Portions of the key adapted (in part) from various sources, especially FNA and SE. [also see Brintonia, Chrysoma, and Euthamia]

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: ASTERA
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Asteraceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: Dumortier 1822 or COMPOSITAE Giseke 1792
FAMILY COMMON: Aster Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 1500-1700 genera and 20,000-25,000 species, shrubs, herbs, trees, and vines, cosmopolitan in distribution.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Cronquist (1980)=SE throughout family treatment.

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect-ascending, rhizomatous perennial of moist forests.
STEMS: Stems arching, branched or unbranched, smooth and sometimes white-waxy or blue-green.
LEAVES: Leaves alternate (no basal rosette), short-petiolate to sessile, lance-shaped, to 4 in. long (reduced upward), toothed, dark green, smooth to rough-hairy.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Composite flowers (heads) in small clusters in middle and upper leaf axils, about 1/4 in. wide, consisting of 1-6 yellow ray florets encircling a small center disk of a few yellow, tubular florets.
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 1-3 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate, Basal
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Mixed
BLOOM TIME: Aug-Oct

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
							x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: Yellow

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
				x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Moist forests
NATIVE RANGE: eastern North America

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Unlike most of our goldenrods, axillary goldenrod thrives without full sun. This is one of very few perennials that will add some late season color to a shady garden. With graceful, arched stems and a clumping habit, this well behaved perennial makes a great garden plant. Tolerant of lean soils and shade it is a good tucked into a corner of the yard providing nectar for pollinators and brightening the view. The genus Solidago supports up to 112 lepidoptera species.

Bloom Table Text: Unlike most of our goldenrods, axillary goldenrod thrives without full sun. This is one of very few perennials that will add some late season color to a shady garden. With graceful, arched stems and a clumping habit, this well behaved perennial makes a great garden plant. Tolerant of lean soils and shade it is a good tucked into a corner of the yard providing nectar for pollinators and brightening the view. The genus Solidago supports up to 112 lepidoptera species.

NCBG Location: Education Center Landscape, Totten Center Landscape

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Average
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 4
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 8
GERMINATION CODE: 2
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
1361	HORT	2006-11-20	Bryan	View
1666	HORT	1999-05-01		View
1792	HORT	2005-01-01	Bryan	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
237	2011-0065	2011-04-05	236	View
3285	1990-0142			View
4022	1992-0178			View
5201	1995-0320			View
5509	1995-0632			View
6324	1995-1456			View
7000	1998-0229			View
8639	2006-0238	2006-08-29		View
9041	2000-0006	2000-01-07	1666	View
9317	2020-0044	2021-01-25		View
9458	2021-0118	2021-08-25	0	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
518	237	31	NCBG staff	2011-03-29	View
519	237	34	NCBG staff	2011-03-29	View
520	237	32	NCBG staff	2011-03-29	View
521	237	15	NCBG staff	2011-05-17	View
5462	3285	8	NCBG staff	1978-10-02	View
6350	4022	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View
7650	5201	203	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
8023	5509	204	NCBG staff	1993-01-01	View
8979	6324	2	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
9875	7000	115	NCBG staff	1967-12-01	View
10232	9041	96	NCBG staff	1999-05-01	View
11851	8639	136	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
11852	8639	137	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
12261	237	25	Liloia	2011-05-17	View
12262	237	24	Liloia	2011-05-17	View
12458	9317	138	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
12459	9317	218	Briggs	2021-01-15	View
12869	9458	25	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
12918	0	198	MacIntyre	0000-00-00	View
13275	0	67	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
13306	0	79	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
13371	0	187	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
13580	0	72	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
13631	0	60	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
13634	0	76	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
13660	0	78	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
13866	0	77	Liloia	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: SOCA4
USDA Common Name: Wreath Goldenrod
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV), CAN (NB, ON, QC)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU				FACU	FACU		FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Solidago caesia var. zedia
COMMON NAME: Gulf Coast Axillary Goldenrod
SYNONYMY: [= FNA; < S. caesia - K, S, SE, WH3]
PHENOLOGY: Sep-Oct.
HABITAT: Moist forests.
COMMENTS: GA and Panhandle FL west to LA and AR.
RANGE MAP: Solidago caesia var. zedia.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Asteraceae Dumortier 1822 or COMPOSITAE Giseke 1792 (Aster Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 1500-1700 genera and 20,000-25,000 species, shrubs, herbs, trees, and vines, cosmopolitan in distribution.
REFERENCE: Cronquist (1980)=SE throughout family treatment.

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Solidago L. (Goldenrod)
SUMMARY: A genus of 90-110 species, herbs, primarily North American, but with a few species in South America, Macaronesia, and Eurasia. The placement of the flat-topped goldenrods has been controversial; they are here included in Solidago rather than being treated as the separate genus Oligoneuron.
REFERENCE: Semple & Cook in FNA (2006b); Semple & Peirson (2013)=V; Semple (2013)=U; Nesom (1990); Cronquist (1980)=SE; Morton (1973, 1974); Zhang (1996); Cook & Semple (2004); Nesom (1993b)=Z; Heard & Semple (1988)=Y; Brouillet & Semple (1981)=X; Cronquist (1980)=SE; Braun (1942). Portions of the key adapted (in part) from various sources, especially FNA and SE. [also see Brintonia, Chrysoma, and Euthamia]

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Solidago caesia in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Solidago caesia in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Solidago caesia in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Solidago caesia in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Solidago caesia in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Solidago caesia

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 17425 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 17425 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 30530 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)