Solidago nemoralis

Grey Goldenrod (Old Field Goldenrod)

• Full sun
• Dry soil preferred, a good option for boulevards or other roadside settings
• 12" to 24" in height, 8" to 16" spread
• A small Goldenrod, suited to dry garden and dry meadow settings.

2020 was the year that I learned to see the differences in the goldenrod species that grow on the rural land that I’ve been working with the last few years. I learned the traits of six different species, with Grey Stem being both the lowest growing and the one that I suspect would be the least intimidating for gardeners who aren’t entirely confident about including this species in a garden, given Goldenrod’s reputation for taking over all available space.
Individual plants form a small rosette of leaves, no more that 12” across and send up arching stalks of blooms to a height of 12” to 24” in early September in the Ottawa area.
These will grow in garden soil that is on the dry side, but really shine in poor soil and lots of sun. Definitely a plant that I’d recommend for ‘hellstrip’ gardening, especially since they seem to thrive along highway margins, which suggests a degree of salt tolerance.
Given where I don’t see these growing, I wouldn’t recommend them for shaded or damp locations (there are other Goldenrods for those spaces, this family is quite diverse).
Would grow well in a low, dry meadow along with Heath Aster, Pearly Everlasting, Orange Butterfly Weed, Prairie Smoke and Black-Eyed-Susan, among others.