Gray goldenrod

Overview

Gray goldenrod, also known as field goldenrod or old-field goldenrod, is a late summer perennial forb. It occurs in the United States and southern Canada east of the Rocky Mountains but is most common eat of the Great Plains. It is found in upland prairies, hill prairies, meadows, savannas, open woodlands, and disturbed sites, including abandoned fields, fencerows, roadsides, and railroads. It grows under full sun in dry to moderately dry soil, especially in clay, sandy, or gravelly soil where there is reduced competition from other plants.

Description

Gray goldenrod is one of the smallest goldenrods. It rises on 1 to 6 stems, sometimes more, from a short-branched, woody, ground-level stem (caudex).

The stem is erect, 6″ to 30″ (15 to 76 cm) in height, unbranched, and green or reddish-green. it is densely covered with short grayish or whitish hairs making the stem appear grayish.

The leaves are alternate, lance-shaped, usually ¾″ to 3¾″ long. The margins are smooth or slightly toothed. The leaf blades are covered with fine, grayish or whitish hairs, making them appear grayish. The grayish stems and leaves are the features that gives this species its common name.

The inflorescence is a 4″ to 10″ long, wand-like array at the top of the stem that usually arches downward. It has 10 to 300 flower heads appearing all on one side. The flowers bloom from late summer to early fall.

Each flower is small, yellow, and tube-shaped at the base with 5 lobes at the tip.

The fruit is a 1.5 to 2 mm long, dry, one-seeded achene with a tuft of white hairs at the top.

Distribution

Sources

2, 3, 5, 7, 24, 28, 30, 83.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu. Accessed 9/3/2026).

Midwest Herbaria Portal. 2026. https://midwestherbaria.org/portal/index.php. Accessed 9/3/2026.

Solidago nemoralis Aiton in Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Abreu, C., Acero P, A., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (2026-07-17 XR). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgykv