Sweet Goldenrod – The Best Goldenrod For The Home Garden

Goldenrods are one of the most important wildflowers of our ecosystem, feeding and hosting numerous pollinators. Unfortunately most gardeners don’t have any goldenrod in their flowerbeds or yards due to it’s (well-earned) reputation for being aggressive. But, before we write-off all Goldenrod species, we need to understand that there are quite a lot of Goldenrod species, over 100 in fact, and not all of them are garden thugs like Canadian Goldenrod. And it just so happens that the one I’m going to talk about today is quite possibly the least aggressive of them all, and should deserve a place in any native plant garden.

Sweet Goldenrod is a perennial wildflower native to North America^[1]. Scientifically known as Solidago odora, it grows 2-4′ tall in full sun and well draining soil^[2]. Blooming bright, canary-yellow flowers for up to two months in late summer to early fall, it attracts dozens of species of pollinators and is an excellent attractor of insects^[3][4].

I’ve been growing this plant for several years now, and have not had any ‘spreading’ via underground rhizomes. I haven’t even had any self-seeding, as I’ve deadheaded my plants (they’re in more ‘formal’ flowerbeds). But the amount of pollinators, beauty, and fragrance make this plant an excellent choice for any garden.

Since Sweet Goldenrod doesn’t spread, that means it doesn’t really have any maintenance. Although if you have rich soil, or lots of moisture, it may grow too tall and flop over. But, you can simply do the Chelsea Chop in early July to help reduce the chances of it flopping over. Also, you can cut it back to ground in winter when it goes dormant, but this is not required. However, if you are growing this in a place where you don’t want self-seeding, then you should definitely consider deadheading it before the seedheads form.

In this article:

Facts

• Native Americans used this plant medicinally for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments
• Originally discovered in the late 1700’s, it was known for it’s use as a tea, an aromatic, and medicine
• After the Boston Tea Party, Sweet Goldenrod was used as a tea and even exported to China^[5]!

Native Range

The native range of Sweet Goldenrod wraps from the Gulf coast of Texas up to Massachusetts, and extends inland to Missouri, Ohio, and upstate New York^[1].

Reference Table

Scientific Name	Solidago odora
Common Name(s)	Sweet Goldenrod, Licorice Goldenrod, Anise Goldenrod, Chapman’s Goldenrod, Woundweed, Blue Mountain Tea
Native Range, USDA Zone	Eastern and Southern United States. USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9
Bloom Time	Late summer to early fall
Bloom Duration, Color	4-8 weeks, Yellow
Height	2-4′
Spacing / Spread	1-2′
Light Requirements	Full sun to part shade
Soil Types	Sandy to clay
Moisture	Dry to medium-moisture
Fauna Associations / Larval Hosts	Numerous bees, butterflies

Sweet Goldenrod Benefits

Beauty

This, like many other goldenrod species produces exceptionally showy blooms. Depending on the time of day or lighting they can appear anything from a rich gold to a very bright, almost fluorescent yellow.

Non-aggressive

This species of Goldenrod is unique in that it doesn’t spread by rhizomes. I’ve had a patch of this for three solid growing seasons, and I have not had a single ‘volunteer’ from underground runners. So, it is perfectly acceptable to have in a more formal flowerbed without worry.

Wildlife

Like other species of Goldenrod this one is exceptionally popular with bees and other pollinators such as wasps. Now don’t fret over the wasps – they aren’t aggressive while feeding on the nectar.

Aroma

As it’s several common names indicate, this species of Goldenrod has a unique aroma to the foliage and blooms. Well, unique for Goldenrod anyway. It smells very similar to black licorice or anise, and the scent could even be mistaken for Anise Hyssop.

Identification and Characteristics

Does Sweet Goldenrod spread?

Sweet Goldenrod doesn’t spread. Sweet Goldenrod doesn’t spread. Sweet Goldenrod doesn’t spread. There – I’ve said it three times. This plant will not spread via underground rhizomes. It may self-seed in mulched flowerbeds, but you can control that with deadheading.

Stalk

But the plant can grow up to 4′ but is more often 2-3′ tall. It will be unbranched except near the top where the inflorescence lies.

Leaf

There will be alternating lanceolate to ovate-oblanceolate to linear leaves along the stem with smooth margins or fine-toothed^[2]. Leaves are generally 1-4″ long by 0.5-1″ wide, getting smaller as they ascend the stem^[4][10].

Flower

Clusters of tiny flowers occur at the upper branching. Each flower has several yellow petals and are generally 3-6″ tall on the stem. Both the flowers and leaves have that distinct anise / black licorice aroma that make this plant easy to identify,.

Root

The root system of Showy Goldenrod is fibrous.

Growing Conditions

Sunlight Requirements

Sweet Goldenrod will grow best in full sun, but can tolerate part-shade as well. The more sun it receives, the taller and showier it will be.

Soil Requirements

For soil, it isn’t picky as long as it drains. It can grow in both sandy and clay soil.

Moisture Requirements

Sweet Goldenrod is drought tolerant and can also thrive in medium-moisture.

Maintenance

Deadhead flowers to avoid self-seeding in mulched flowerbeds. Also, in rich soils or sun from a single direction, the plant may get too tall or just ‘reach for the sun and topple over. Give it the Chelsea Chop by mid-June to help in these situations. I’ve had some of mine flop even though they were quite small at 2′ tall.

Fertilizer

As a native, Showy Goldenrod will not require any special ferilizers.

How to Grow Sweet Goldenrod from Seed

Sweet Goldenrod has a dormancy mechanism to prevent premature germination in the fall. And that is really just a fancy way of saying that the seeds need cold-moist stratification to germinate, preferably 30-60 days^[6]. It also needs exposure to UV light, as this will help in the germination as well.

So, we need to either cold-moist stratify this seed in the fridge using a paper towel and zip-lock bag. Or, (my preference) is to Winter Sow the seed in January. And to do this, you fill a suitable container with moist potting soil and scatter the seed on top. Press the seed into the surface with your thumb to ensure good contact with the soil, and place the container in a location that will get morning sun and afternoon shade.

Wildlife, Pests, and Diseases associated with Sweet Goldenrod

Pollinators

Numerous pollinators will visit Sweet Goldenrod. It attracts numerous species of bee, butterfly, skipper, and other pollinating insects, such as the Locust Boer. Additionally there are several insects that will form galls on the plant, which are in-turn prey for various predatory wasps^[5].

Deer and Rabbits

Deer and rabbits don’t seem to bother Sweet Goldenrod. The strong aroma that we find pleasing may be off-putting to all the deer. In three years growing this plant, I have not seen any damage to my plants.

Where you can buy Sweet Goldenrod

Sweet Goldenrod is not typically sold in nurseries, since Goldenrod isn’t normally thought of as a ‘garden friendly’ plant. But it can be purchased at specialty nurseries that deal in Native Plants. You can find native plant nurseries near you on our interactive map.

Where to buy seeds

We have ordered a variety of native flower seeds from Everwilde Farms, which you can order right from Amazon through our link on our RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS PAGE. (We may earn a small commission when you purchase through our links, at no cost to you. This helps support our website.)

Uses of Sweet Goldenrod

Garden Uses

This plant can be used as you would any perennial around the garden. Plant it in groups of three or more to attract more pollinators, as they prefer the ‘all you can eat’ buffet of flowers as opposed to single specimens. It can also be used in short-grass meadows (sandy soils), or border gardens. I have some in a native plant flower bed that borders my driveway and street – aka a hell strip.

Companion Plants

For companion plants, grow this near other sun-loving & drought tolerant plants such as Hairy Beardtongue, Eastern Great Beardtongue, Harebell, Butterflyweed, Liatris punctata, Rudbeckia fulgida, Tennessee Coneflower, and Lanceleaf Coreopsis. For grasses, it grows well near Sideoats Grama, Prairie Dropseed, Purple Lovegrass, and Pink Muhly.

Edible and Medicinal Uses

Tea can be made from the leaves or flowers, or even combined. The leaves contain a gland that releases the nice pleasing aroma, and is also responsible for flavoring the tea^[8].

Early American settlers and colonists brewed a tea from it’s dried leaves to ‘revitalize’ and energize you after an illness^[7]. In fact it was so common that after the Boston Tea Party the colonists drank tea made with Sweet Goldenrod and dubbed it ‘Liberty Tea^[4][8].

One can also make Jelly from Sweet Goldenrod. Start with a cup of Goldenrod Tea and add sugar, pectin, and cook down as you would normally^[4].

Native Americans (primarily the Cherokee Tribe) used Sweet Goldenrod medicinally. It was almost used as a panacea, in that it was a sedative, stimulant, used for treating cough or colds, reducing fever, anti-diarrhea l,,,,the list goes on^[9].

Final Thoughts

When it comes to growing goldenrod, we all know (and hear) how important it is, yet many people avoid planting it due to the reputation it has gained for being aggressive. But, this particular species is not aggressive. It’s beauty, fragrance, pollinator value, and adaptability should make it a more popular choice in gardens across the USA.

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