Stiff goldenrod

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

N5 - Secure
SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Wetland Indicator Status

Great Plains

FACU - Facultative upland

Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

Description

Stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida ssp. rigida), sometimes called eastern stiff-leaved goldenrod or prairies bold goldenrod, is a 24″ to 60″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on 1 to 10 stems from a short, branched, woody caudex.

The stems are erect or ascending, stout, and unbranched below the inflorescence. They are rough to the touch due to a moderate to dense covering of short, stiff, curved hairs, even near the base. At the base of the stem is a rosette of basal leaves which is usually present when the plant is in flower. There may be additional rosettes of leaves adjacent to the stem.

Basal leaves are large, egg-shaped, inversely egg-shaped, or oblong-elliptic, up to 12″ long, and up to 4″ wide, 3 to 6 times as long as wide. They are firm and flat. They stand somewhat erect on leaf stalks that are often as long or longer than the blade. The upper and lower surfaces are somewhat rough to the touch due to a moderate to dense covering of short, fine, curved hairs. On the underside there is a single, prominent midvein. The margins are untoothed or may have fine, rounded teeth. Lower stem leaves are similar but smaller and on shorter leaf stalks.

Middle stem leaves are stalkless, thick, fleshy, rigid, egg-shaped, 1¼″ to 2″ long, about ⅝″ wide, and otherwise similar to the basal leaves. They become progressively smaller as they ascend the stem. The margins of at least the upper stem leaves are untoothed.

The inflorescence is is a loose, open, spreading, flat-topped, corymb-like array of 9 to 190 flower heads at the end of the stem. It is usually 1¼″ to 8″ long and 2½″ to 7″ wide, but it can be larger.

The tiny flower heads are large relative to other goldenrods, the disk 3 ⁄16″ to ⅜″ wide. They have 6 to 14, usually 7 to 10, yellow ray florets and 14 to 35, usually 20 to 30, yellow disk florets.

The fruit is an achene with no hairs at the tip.

Height

24″ to 60″

Flower Color

Yellow ray florets, yellow disk florets

Similar Species

Stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida var. humile) is a smaller plant, 10″ to 27″ in height. The basal leaves are smaller, rarely more than 4¾″ long by 2″ wide. The inflorescence is tightly clumped, usually rounded, and smaller, usually no more than 5″ long and wide. The achene has some short, loose hairs near the tip.

Habitat

Dry to moderate moisture. Tall-grass and mixed-grass prairies, open woods, roadsides, disturbed sites, open fields. Full sun to partial shade. Sandy or loamy soil.

Ecology

Flowering

August to October

Pests and Diseases

Use

Distribution

Sources

3, 7, 30.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu. Accessed 2/25/2026).

Midwest Herbaria Portal. 2026. https://midwestherbaria.org/portal/index.php. Accessed 2/25/2026.

Solidago rigida subsp. rigida in GBIF Secretariat (2023). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org. Accessed 2/25/2026.