Solidago gigantea W. Aiton. Subgenus: Pleiactila. Section: Unilaterales. Subsection: Serotinae. Common name: Smooth Goldenrod. Phenology: Aug-Sep (-Oct). Habitat: Old fields, roadsides, streamside meadows, bottomlands. Distribution: NS west to SK and MT, south to Panhandle FL (Liberty County), TX, and CO.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Taxonomy Comments: Three cytotypes are documented and have available names at specific rank -- diploid = Solidago gigantea, tetraploid = Solidago serotinoides, and hexaploid = Solidago shinnersii. Martino, Semple, & Beck (2020) studied these and recommended against giving them taxonomic status, though they do differ in morphology, distribution, nutrient use, and invasiveness. The "shinnersii entity" may warrant variety rank, though.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Fl7, FNA20, GrPl, GW2, Il, Mi, Mo2, NcTx, NE, NY, POWO, RAB, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, Martino, Semple, & Beck (2020); = Solidago serotina Aiton — S; > Solidago gigantea Aiton var. gigantea — F, G, K4, Oh3, Pa, SE1, WV, Johnson (1995); > Solidago gigantea Aiton var. leiophylla Fernald — F, Oh3, Tat, WV; > Solidago gigantea Aiton var. serotina (Kuntze) Cronquist — G, Pa, SE1, Johnson (1995); > Solidago gigantea Aiton var. shinnersii Beaudry — K4; > Solidago serotinoides Á.Löve & D.Löve; > Solidago shinnersii (Beaudry) Beaudry. Basionym: Solidago gigantea Aiton 1789
Links to other floras: = Solidago gigantea - FNA20
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW
- Great Plains: FAC
- Midwest: FACW
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACW
Heliophily ⓘ: 8
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© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Erect, rhizomatous perennial of old fields, roadsides, streamside meadows and bottomlands.
Stems: Stems mostly unbranched, smooth below inflorescence, usually with a white-waxy coating.
Leaves: Leaves alternate (no basal rosette), short-petiolate to sessile, narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped, 2-6 in. long, sharply toothed, with 3 prominent parallel veins and finely hairy to smooth beneath.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Composite flowers (heads) densely clustered on spreading-ascending branches of a pyramid-shaped terminal panicle; heads about 1/4 in long, consisting of 9-15 yellow ray florets encircling a small center disk of 5-11 yellow, tubular florets.
Fruits:
Comments:
Height: 2-6 1/2 ft.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect, rhizomatous perennial of old fields, roadsides, streamside meadows and bottomlands.
stems: Stems mostly unbranched, smooth below inflorescence, usually with a white-waxy coating.
leaves: Leaves alternate (no basal rosette), short-petiolate to sessile, narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped, 2-6 in. long, sharply toothed, with 3 prominent parallel veins and finely hairy to smooth beneath.
inflorescence:
flowers: Composite flowers (heads) densely clustered on spreading-ascending branches of a pyramid-shaped terminal panicle; heads about 1/4 in long, consisting of 9-15 yellow ray florets encircling a small center disk of 5-11 yellow, tubular florets.
fruits:
comments:
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range:
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