prairie wildflower

Common wrinkle-leaved goldenrod

Solidago rugosa

Also known as Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod, Wrinkle-leaf Goldenrod, Rough-leaved Goldenrod, Roughleaf Goldenrod, Rough-stemmed Goldenrod, Roughstem Goldenrod

Native to much of the USA and southern Canada

Newfoundland to Georgia, west to Michigan, Missouri and Texas

Light Full sun Sun tolerance
Moisture Wet Moisture preference
Zones 2–9 Cold to heat range
Bloom Aug–Oct Flowering time
Height up to 6 ft to 1.8 m
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

Full details, see below

In the garden

A prairie wildflower for full sun and wet soil. Its yellow flowers peak in September. At up to 6 ft, it needs room in meadows and sunny borders. It spreads readily, so give it room or a contained spot. Hardy in USDA zones 2–9.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

When it blooms

The Common wrinkle-leaved goldenrod's yellow flowers bloom August to October, peaking in September. This early-fall display draws bees and butterflies.

Common wrinkle-leaved goldenrod blooms yellowFoliage

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee, Brown-belted Bumble Bee +159 more
Ligated Furrow Bee, Tricolored Bumble Bee, Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee, Pure Green Sweat bee, Red-belted Bumble Bee, Perplexing Bumble Bee, Half-black Bumble Bee, Orange-legged Furrow Bee, Lemon Cuckoo Bumble Bee, Northern Amber Bumble Bee, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, Carpenter-mimic Leafcutter Bee, Sculptured Resin Bee, Oblong Woolcarder Bee, Confusing Furrow Bee, Spurred Ceratina, Southern Plains Bumble Bee, Hairy-banded Mining Bee, Silky Striped Sweat Bee, Cryptic Bumble Bee, Northeastern Sweat Bee, Cloudy-winged Mining Bee, Sanderson's Bumble Bee, Bristle Sweat Bee, Slender-faced Masked Bee, Aster Mining Bee, Colletes simulans, Say's Cuckoo Leafcutter Bee, Punctate Masked Bee, Davis's Cuckoo Sweat Bee, Eastern Spine-shouldered Cellophane Bee, Goldenrod Longhorn-Cuckoo Bee, Annulate Masked Bee, Hairy masked Bee, Lasioglossum nitidiusculum, Golden-tailed Woodborer, Little Masked Bee, Common Masked Bee, Large-headed Armoured-Resin bee, Nomada bifasciata, Robust Small-Mason, Black Masked Bee, Spined Mason Bee, Large Masked Bee, Golden Furrow Bee, Hylaeus cardioscapus, Linsenmaier's Nomad, Lasioglossum sabulosum, Lasioglossum pleurospeculum, Lasioglossum podolicum, Lasioglossum subfulvicorne, Lasioglossum laevidorsum, Hylaeus glacialis, Hylaeus pfankuchi, Snowy Masked Bee, Lasioglossum tarsatum, Hylaeus moricei, Nomada pleurosticta, Andrena amieti, Lasioglossum euboeense, Lasioglossum lissonotum, Lasioglossum alpigenum, Halictus carinthiacus, Hylaeus pilosulus, Heriades crenulatus, Translucent Miner, Hylaeus difformis, Megachile genalis, Nomada facilis, Andrena taraxaci, Lasioglossum majus, Common Pantaloon Bee, White-jawed Yellow-face Bee, Snowy Mason, Lasioglossum lucidulum, Variegated Masked Bee, Small Shiny Furrow Bee, Osmia scutellaris, Halictus seladonius, Lasioglossum bluethgeni, Gredler's Masked Bee, Lasioglossum lineare, Andrena nigroolivacea, Great Banded Furrow Bee, Femoral Nomad, Lasioglossum subhirtum, Hylaeus duckei, Hylaeus bifasciatus, Bare-saddled Cellophane Bee, Osmia mustelina, Eucera nigrifacies, Ridge-gastered Furrow Bee, Pseudapis diversipes, Small-headed Resin Bee, Chalk Yellow-face Bee, Broad-banded Nomad Bee, Davies' Cellophane Bee, Lasioglossum nigripes, Osmia rufohirta, Colletes mlokossewiczi, Andrena livens, Hylaeus gibbus, Hylaeus crassanus, Megachile flabellipes, Nomada distinguenda, Fringed Furrow Bee, Hesperian Miner, Short-horned Yellow-face Bee, Lasioglossum albocinctum, Osmia labialis, White-lipped Blood Bee, Reed Yellow-face Bee, Lasioglossum minutulum, Small Shaggy Bee, Shiny Dufourea, Narrowed Masked Bee, Hairy-saddled Cellophane Bee, Large Shaggy Bee, Halictus leucaheneus, Lasioglossum laeve, Lasioglossum subfasciatum, Hylaeus imparilis, White-lipped Yellow-face Bee, Horned Masked Bee, Hylaeus taeniolatus, Forest Masked Bee, Andrena rhenana, Polished Miner, Lasioglossum interruptum, Megachile melanopyga, Orange-vented Mason Bee, Hylaeus euryscapus, Hylaeus paulus, Squat Furrow Bee, Dotted Masked Bee, Buff-tailed Mining Bee, Panurgus dentipes, Lasioglossum marginellum, Hylaeus sinuatus, Nomada integra, Hylaeus tyrolensis, Lasioglossum aeratum, Hylaeus alpinus, Grey-banded Mining Bee, Onion Yellow-face Bee, Lasioglossum discum, Hylaeus kahri, Lasioglossum marginatum, Hylaeus styriacus, Neighborly Nomad, Xylocopa virginica virginica, Two-banded Cellophane-cuckoo Bee, Coelioxys dolichos, Lasioglossum coriaceum, Coelioxys octodentata, Halictidae sp., Florida Masked Bee, Xylocopa appendiculata circumvolans, Drury's Long-horned Bee
Butterflies Monarch

also Gulf Fritillary, Red Admiral, Black Swallowtail +75 more
Red-spotted Admiral, Pearl Crescent, Common Buckeye, Fiery Skipper, Silver-spotted Skipper, Painted Lady, Gray Hairstreak, Mourning Cloak, American Lady, Orange Sulphur, Eastern Tailed-Blue, Great Spangled Fritillary, Variegated Fritillary, Hackberry Emperor, Viceroy, Clouded Sulphur, Cloudless Sulphur, Peck's Skipper, Common Wood-Nymph, Clouded Skipper, Dun Skipper, Red-banded Hairstreak, Woodland Skipper, Pale Swallowtail, American Copper, Green Comma, Banded Hairstreak, Great Purple Hairstreak, Weidemeyer's Admiral, White M Hairstreak, Gorgone Checkerspot, Pink-edged Sulphur, Behr's Hairstreak, California Hairstreak, Tailed Copper, Zephyr Comma, Arogos Skipper, Afranius Duskywing, Pale Crescent, Swamp Metalmark, Hops Azure, Common Branded Skipper, Map, Small Heath, Scarce Copper, Holly Blue, Colias philodice philodice, Epargyreus clarus clarus, Clossiana toddi ammiralis, Panoquina ocola, Limenitis arthemis arthemis, Leonard's Skipper, Danaus plexippus plexippus, Speyeria atlantis hesperis, Epidemia dorcas florus, Russet Skipperling, Siva Juniper Hairstreak, Green Skipper, Cercyonis oetus, Harkenclenus titus, Ottoe Skipper, Polites origenes, Lycaena heteronea, Speyeria callippe, Lycaena xanthoides, Polites sabuleti, Epidemia helloides, Strymon saepium, Speyeria coronis, Speyeria mormonia, Cynthia cardui, Speyeria aphrodite, Argynnis hyperbius hyperbius, Common Mapwing, Euptychia cymela
Wasps Bald-faced Hornet

also Eastern Yellowjacket, Metric Paper Wasp, European Hornet +28 more
Fraternal Potter Wasp, Four-toothed Mason Wasp, Southern Yellowjacket, Common Aerial Yellowjacket, Euodynerus foraminatus, Bramble Mason Wasp, Ancistrocerus capra, Perennial Mason Wasp, Blackjacket, Ancistrocerus catskill, European tube wasp, Euodynerus megaera, Parasitic Aerial Yellowjacket, Parametric Paper Wasp, Euodynerus hidalgo boreoorientalis, Canadian potter wasp, Parancistrocerus pedestris, Eumenes coronatus, Yellow-legged Hornet, German Yellowjacket, American Yellowjacket, Zethus spinipes variegatus, Ancistrocerus campestris, Vespula vidua, Polistes daminula, Fine-backed Red Paper Wasp, Apache Paper Wasp, Zethus spinipes
Also visited by
- Flower flies:
  
  Margined Calligrapher, Eastern Calligrapher +31 more
  Common Drone Fly, Transverse-banded Flower Fly, Oblique Streaktail, Long-tailed Aphideater, Narrow-headed Marsh Fly, Thick-legged Hover Fly, Eurasian Drone Fly, Black-shouldered Drone Fly, Virginia Giant Hover Fly, Northern Plushback, Variable Duskyface Fly, Common Grass Skimmer, Eastern Hornet Fly, Oblique-banded Pond Fly, Orange-legged Drone Fly, Yellow-legged Flower Fly, Banded Thintail, American Snout Fly, Bald-faced Hornet Fly, Black-horned Smoothtail, Four-lined Hornet Fly, Short-haired Leafwalker, Goldenback, Yellow-thighed Thick-leg Fly, Trivittate Marsh Fly, Stripe-backed Brusheye, Tapered Drone Fly, Ocyptamus costatus, Sericomyia militaris, Epistrophella emarginata, Phytomia zonata
- Moths:
  
  Fall Webworm Moth, Green Cloverworm Moth +34 more
  Yellow-collared Scape Moth, Common Tan Wave, Lucerne Moth, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Corn Earworm Moth, Bicolored Sallow, Ipsilon Dart Moth, Black-letter Darts, Soybean Looper Moth, Dingy Cutworm Moth, Spotted Beet Webworm Moth, Carrot Seed Moth, Smith's Dart, Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth, Greater Grapevine Looper Moth, Purple-backed Cabbageworm Moth, Papaipema leucostigma, Swordsman Dart, Reaper Dart, Brown Pinion, Bethune's Pinion, Xestia dilucida, Sensitive Fern Borer Moth, Pennisetia marginata, Pale-banded Dart, Cucullia convexipennis, Asteroid Moth, Southern Beet Webworm Moth, Bronzed Cutworm Moth, Patalene olyzonaria, Lycaena hyllus, Norman’s Dart, Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth, Diathrausta reconditalis
- Beetles:
  
  Asian Lady Beetle, Seven-spotted Lady Beetle +7 more
  Spotted Cucumber Beetle, Goldenrod Soldier Beetle, Spotted Pink Lady Beetle, Locust Borer, Striped Cucumber Beetle, Microrhopala excavata, Propylaea quatuordecimpunctata

Butterflies that use this plant

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: PrairieThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (32): AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV. Canada (6): NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Newfoundland to Georgia, west to Michigan, Missouri and TexasThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sunHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: WetThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 2–9 · Canadian 1–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Most well-drained soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil pH: 5.0–7.5The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Salinity tolerance: NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: MediumHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Growth & form

Height: up to 6 ft (to 1.8 m)Typical mature height.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: RapidA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 12+ in (30+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: Aug–OctWhen it flowers.
Flower color: YellowThe bloom color, or colors.
Fruit/Seeds: Achene; ripens Sep–NovThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, seed, sprigsHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~1 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: RapidWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.