Canadian Goldenrod
Canadian Goldenrod, West Bexington,
Dorset
One-sided flower spikes
Close-up of opening flowers - outer ray-florets
Fully open flowers - ray and disk-florets
Pollinating hover-fly
Leaves and stem
Solidago canadensis
Asteraceae
July to September
It is found throughout the country, but is patchy in the
North and the Southwest.
See the BSBI distribution map for Canadian Goldenrod
It is a neophyte which was introduced to UK gardens in
the 1640s and first shown to be naturalised in the wild
in the 1880s.
It grows on waste ground and alongside roads,
railways and rivers.
Canadian Goldenrod is a vigorous, rhizomatous,
perennial, herb growing up to 250cm.
Flowerheads are yellow, 4 to 6 mm across, in one-
sided spikes and on the upper side of curved
branches.
Flowerheads have an outer ring of petal-like ray
florets, which are smaller than in native Goldenrod.
The central disc florets are hermaphrodite and
consist of petal tubes. They form the seed and wind-
dispersed pappus.
Leaves are veined and lanceolate, rather downy
and paler than in Goldenrod.
Compare with Goldenrod, also in July.
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Next page: Carline Thistle
Canadian Goldenrod, West Bexington,
Dorset
One-sided flower spikes
Close-up of opening flowers - outer ray-florets
Fully open flowers - ray and disk-florets
Pollinating hover-fly
Leaves and stem
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