---
title: "Solidago (goldenrods): classification, 151 accepted species, distribution and cut-flower care | Floreboard"
url: https://floreboard.com/en/plants/solidago/
language: en
last_reviewed: 2026-10-24
publisher: Floreboard
---

Hortus Eystettensis · Classis Aestiva, Fol. 134 · 1640 · public domain

# Solidago L.

goldenrods · Asteraceae

- **Accepted name:** Solidago L.
- **First published:** Sp. Pl.: 878 (1753)
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Accepted species:** 151 (including 11 natural hybrids)
- **Native range:** 178 TDWG regions, the Americas, the Azores, temperate Eurasia and north-west Africa
- **Common names:** goldenrods, Solidago
- **Databases:** [POWO](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:60436299-2) · [IPNI](https://www.ipni.org/n/60436299-2) · [WCVP](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/2232/taxon/3133769) · [Catalogue of Life](https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/7JH2) · [GBIF](https://www.gbif.org/species/5388868)

## Overview

Solidago belongs to the daisy family, Asteraceae. Kew gives its native range as North and Central America and the Caribbean, Bolivia to Brazil and southern South America, the Azores, temperate Eurasia and north-west Africa. The golden filler sold by Chinese florists as huangying (“yellow oriole”) belongs to this genus.

In WCVP, Canada goldenrod, S. canadensis, is native to North America and introduced in about 80 regions worldwide, including north-central, south-central and south-east China.

## Classification and naming

Linnaeus published the genus in Species Plantarum in 1753; Oligoneuron and other genera are now included (see below). The plate above is folio 134 of the summer section of Hortus Eystettensis (1640 edition): figure II is inscribed “Virga aurea” (golden rod), the pre-Linnaean name for Solidago virgaurea.

| Genus name | Published in |
| --- | --- |
| Actipsis Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 2: 43 (1837) |
| Brachychaeta Torr. & A.Gray | Fl. N. Amer. 2: 194 (1842) |
| Dasiorima Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 2: 43 (1837) |
| Dectis Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 2: 43 (1837) |
| Leioligo Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 2: 42 (1837) |
| Lepiactis Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 2: 43 (1837) |
| Oligoneuron Small | Fl. S.E. U.S.: 1188, 1339 (1903) |
| Unamia Greene | Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 1: 6 (1903) |

## Distribution

WCVP records the genus as native to 178 TDWG botanical regions and introduced in 32 more.

Native regions (178)

AfghanistanAlabamaAlaskaAlbaniaAlbertaAleutian Is.AlgeriaAltayAmurArgentina NortheastArgentina NorthwestArgentina SouthArizonaArkansasAssamAustriaAzoresBahamasBaltic StatesBelarusBelgiumBelizeBermudaBoliviaBrazil NortheastBrazil SouthBrazil SoutheastBrazil West-CentralBritish ColumbiaBulgariaBuryatiyaCaliforniaCambodiaCentral European RussiaChile CentralChile NorthChile SouthChina North-CentralChina South-CentralChina SoutheastChitaColoradoConnecticutCorseCubaCzechia-SlovakiaDelawareDenmarkDistrict of ColumbiaDominican RepublicEast Aegean Is.East European RussiaEast HimalayaFinlandFloridaFranceGeorgiaGermanyGreat BritainGreeceGuatemalaHungaryIdahoIllinoisIndianaInner MongoliaIowaIranIrelandIrkutskItalyJapanJuan Fernández Is.KamchatkaKansasKazakhstanKentuckyKhabarovskKirgizstanKoreaKrasnoyarskKrymKuril Is.LabradorLaosLebanon-SyriaLouisianaMagadanMaineManchuriaManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMexico CentralMexico GulfMexico NortheastMexico NorthwestMexico SoutheastMexico SouthwestMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMongoliaMontanaMoroccoNansei-shotoNebraskaNepalNetherlandsNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundlandNorth CarolinaNorth CaucasusNorth DakotaNorth European RussiaNorthwest European RussiaNorthwest TerritoriesNorwayNova ScotiaNunavutNW. Balkan Pen.OhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPakistanPalestineParaguayPennsylvaniaPhilippinesPolandPortugalPrimoryePrince Edward I.Puerto RicoQuébecRhode I.RomaniaSakhalinSardegnaSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaSouth European RussiaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTadzhikistanTaiwanTennesseeTexasTranscaucasusTunisiaTürkiyeTürkiye-in-EuropeTuvaUkraineUruguayUtahUzbekistanVermontVietnamVirginiaWashingtonWest HimalayaWest SiberiaWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingXinjiangYakutiyaYukon

### Introduced

BorneoColombiaCook Is.FijiHainanHawaiiIndiaJawaLeeward Is.Lesser Sunda Is.MadeiraMalayaMauritiusNew South WalesNew Zealand NorthNew Zealand SouthNicaraguaNorthern TerritoryPeruQinghaiQueenslandSociety Is.South AustraliaSri LankaSulawesiSumateraTasmaniaThailandTibetTurkmenistanVictoriaWestern Australia

## Accepted species

WCVP accepts 151 species; names with × are natural hybrids. The count changes with revisions; checked 2026-10-24.

| Name | On this site |
| --- | --- |
| Solidago albopilosa E.L.Braun |   |
| Solidago altiplanities C.E.S.Taylor & R.John Taylor |   |
| Solidago altissima L. |   |
| Solidago arenicola B.R.Keener & Kral |   |
| Solidago argentinensis Lopez Laphitz & Semple |   |
| Solidago arguta Aiton |   |
| Solidago × asperula Desf. |   |
| Solidago auriculata Shuttlew. ex S.F.Blake |   |
| Solidago austrina Small |   |
| Solidago austrocaroliniana Semple & J.B.Nelson |   |
| Solidago ayuhwasi M.Brock & D.Estes |   |
| Solidago bartramiana Fernald |   |
| Solidago × beaudryi B.Boivin |   |
| Solidago bellidifolia Greene |   |
| Solidago × bernardii B.Boivin |   |
| Solidago bicolor L. |   |
| Solidago brachyphylla Chapm. ex Torr. & A.Gray |   |
| Solidago buckleyi Torr. & A.Gray |   |
| Solidago caesia L. |   |
| Solidago × calcicola Fernald |   |
| Solidago canadensis L. | 1 plate |
| Solidago capulinensis Cockerell & D.M.Andrews |   |
| Solidago chapmanii A.Gray |   |
| Solidago chilensis Meyen |   |
| Solidago chlorolepis Fernald |   |
| Solidago chrysopsis Small |   |
| Solidago compacta Turcz. |   |
| Solidago confinis A.Gray |   |
| Solidago correllii Semple |   |
| Solidago cuprea Juz. |   |
| Solidago curtisii Torr. & A.Gray |   |
| Solidago dahurica (Kitag.) Kitag. ex Juz. |   |
| Solidago decemflora DC. |   |
| Solidago decurrens Lour. |   |
| Solidago delicatula Small |   |
| Solidago drummondii Torr. & A.Gray |   |
| Solidago durangensis G.L.Nesom |   |
| Solidago elongata Nutt. |   |
| Solidago erecta Banks |   |
| Solidago ericamerioides G.L.Nesom |   |
| Solidago × erskinei B.Boivin |   |
| Solidago fallax (Fernald) Semple |   |
| Solidago faucibus Wieboldt |   |
| Solidago fistulosa Mill. |   |
| Solidago flexicaulis L. |   |
| Solidago gattingeri Chapm. ex A.Gray |   |
| Solidago georgiana Semple |   |
| Solidago gigantea Aiton |   |
| Solidago gillmanii (A.Gray) E.S.Steele |   |
| Solidago glomerata Michx. |   |
| Solidago glutinosa Nutt. |   |
| Solidago gracillima Torr. & A.Gray |   |
| Solidago guiradonis A.Gray |   |
| Solidago gypsophila G.L.Nesom |   |
| Solidago hintoniorum G.L.Nesom |   |
| Solidago hispida Muhl. ex Willd. |   |
| Solidago horieana Kadota |   |
| Solidago houghtonii Torr. & A.Gray |   |
| Solidago jejunifolia E.S.Steele |   |
| Solidago juliae G.L.Nesom |   |
| Solidago juncea Aiton |   |
| Solidago kralii Semple |   |
| Solidago × krotkovii B.Boivin |   |
| Solidago kuhistanica Popov |   |
| Solidago lancifolia (Torr. & A.Gray) Chapm. |   |
| Solidago latissimifolia Mill. |   |
| Solidago leavenworthii Torr. & A.Gray |   |
| Solidago leiocarpa DC. |   |
| Solidago lepida DC. |   |
| Solidago litoralis Savi |   |
| Solidago ludoviciana Small |   |
| Solidago × lutea (A.Perry) Brouillet & Semple |   |
| Solidago × lutescens (Lindl. ex DC.) B.Boivin |   |
| Solidago macrophylla Banks |   |
| Solidago macvaughii G.L.Nesom |   |
| Solidago × maheuxii B.Boivin |   |
| Solidago maya Semple |   |
| Solidago mexicana L. |   |
| Solidago microglossa DC. |   |
| Solidago minutissima (Makino) Kitam. |   |
| Solidago missouriensis Nutt. |   |
| Solidago mollis Bartl. |   |
| Solidago muelleri Standl. |   |
| Solidago multiradiata Aiton |   |
| Solidago nana Nutt. |   |
| Solidago nemoralis Aiton |   |
| Solidago × niederederi Khek |   |
| Solidago nipponica Semple |   |
| Solidago nitida Torr. & A.Gray |   |
| Solidago odora Aiton |   |
| Solidago ohioensis Riddell |   |
| Solidago ontarioensis (G.S.Ringius) Semple & J.A.Peirson |   |
| Solidago orientalis (G.L.Nesom) G.L.Nesom |   |
| Solidago ouachitensis C.E.S.Taylor & R.John Taylor |   |
| Solidago ovata Friesner |   |
| Solidago pacifica Juz. |   |
| Solidago pallida (Porter) Rydb. |   |
| Solidago paniculata DC. |   |
| Solidago patagonica Phil. |   |
| Solidago patula Muhl. ex Willd. |   |
| Solidago patuliginosa Friesner |   |
| Solidago petiolaris Aiton |   |
| Solidago pinetorum Small |   |
| Solidago plumosa Small |   |
| Solidago polyglossa DC. |   |
| Solidago pringlei Fernald |   |
| Solidago psammophila J.A.Peirson |   |
| Solidago ptarmicoides (Torr. & A.Gray) B.Boivin |   |
| Solidago puberula Nutt. |   |
| Solidago pulchra Small |   |
| Solidago pulverulenta Nutt. |   |
| Solidago racemosa Greene |   |
| Solidago radula Nutt. |   |
| Solidago randii (Porter) Britton |   |
| Solidago riddellii Frank |   |
| Solidago rigida L. |   |
| Solidago rigidiuscula (Torr. & A.Gray) Porter |   |
| Solidago roanensis Porter |   |
| Solidago rugosa Mill. |   |
| Solidago rupestris Raf. |   |
| Solidago sciaphila E.S.Steele |   |
| Solidago sempervirens L. |   |
| Solidago shortii Torr. & A.Gray |   |
| Solidago simplex Kunth |   |
| Solidago simulans Fernald |   |
| Solidago × snarskisii Gudž. & Žaln. |   |
| Solidago spathulata DC. |   |
| Solidago speciosa Nutt. |   |
| Solidago spectabilis (D.C.Eaton) A.Gray |   |
| Solidago spellenbergii Semple |   |
| Solidago sphacelata Raf. |   |
| Solidago spithamaea M.A.Curtis ex A.Gray |   |
| Solidago squarrosa Nutt. |   |
| Solidago stricta Aiton |   |
| Solidago tarda Mack. ex Small |   |
| Solidago tortifolia Elliott |   |
| Solidago turnerorum Semple |   |
| Solidago uliginosa Nutt. |   |
| Solidago ulmicaesia Friesner |   |
| Solidago ulmifolia Muhl. ex Willd. |   |
| Solidago velutina DC. |   |
| Solidago veracruziensis Semple |   |
| Solidago verna M.A.Curtis ex Torr. & A.Gray |   |
| Solidago villosicarpa LeBlond |   |
| Solidago virgata Michx. |   |
| Solidago virgaurea L. | 2 plates |
| Solidago vossii J.S.Pringle & Laureto |   |
| Solidago wrightii A.Gray |   |
| Solidago yambaruensis S.Sakag. & Mot.Ito |   |
| Solidago yokusaiana Makino |   |
| Solidago zedia (R.E.Cook & Semple) Semple & J.B.Beck |   |

## Historic plates

Plates in date order; the printed names are kept as they appear, current names are on the species pages and the topic page.

- [](https://floreboard.com/plants/plates/hortus-eystettensis-solidago.jpg)Virga aureaHortus Eystettensis · Classis Aestiva, Fol. 134 · 1640,
- [](https://floreboard.com/plants/plates/plantarum-icones-solidago-virgaurea.jpg)Solidago virga-aureaPlantarum indigenarum et exoticarum icones ad vivum coloratae · 1790,
- [](https://floreboard.com/plants/plates/favourite-flowers-solidago-canadensis.jpg)Solidago canadensisFavourite Flowers of Garden and Greenhouse · Pl. 127 · 1897,

## Cut-flower handling

Floralife advises harvesting when the clusters of flower heads are golden yellow and the ray florets are beginning to open. Store at 1–3 °C and 75–85% relative humidity; vase life is 7–14 days and ethylene sensitivity is usually low. Goldenrod drinks a lot, so check solution levels daily or it dehydrates quickly; the leaves are prone to yellowing, which an anti-leaf-yellowing treatment helps; and the flowers and leaves should be free of disease and pests.

## Further reading

- [Flower guide](https://floreboard.com/en/flowers/solidago/)
- [Reference library](https://floreboard.com/en/library/)

## References

- [WCVP · World Checklist of Vascular Plants (via ChecklistBank dataset 2232)](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/2232) · accessed 2026-10-24
- [Kew (POWO data on the ColPlanta site) · Solidago native range](https://colplanta.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:60436299-2/general-information)
- [Floralife · Solidago care and handling](https://floralife.com/flowers/solidago/)

Names, places of publication, synonyms and distribution checked against WCVP (2026-10-24); the text follows the cited sources and awaits specialist review.