• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Cure Nursery

Native Plants of the Southeast

  • Home
  • Native Plant Library
    • Search by Plant Characteristics
    • Search by Scientific Name
    • Search by Common Names
  • Availability & Pricing
  • Resources
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Solidago odora
Sweet Goldenrod, Anise-scented Goldenrod, Fragrant Goldenrod, Blue Mountain Tea

Photo by Larry Allain of the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Sweet Goldenrod is found in open woods and savannahs in coastal states from New Hampshire south to Florida and over to east Texas, and inland as far as Missouri. (In northern Florida there is a separate subspecies, Chapmanii.) It occurs in most of the counties of NC. Sweet Goldenrod grows to 2-3 feet in height and 1-2 feet across, with an anise or licorice scent, released by its leaves when crushed, that readily differentiates it from all its Solidago cousins. It tolerates poor, dry soils and light shade, but performs best in full sun and is a graceful presence in both the sunny garden and for difficult dry, shaded woodland garden locations. Bright golden flowers appear in August-September in orderly rows on the upper side of the plume branches. It is well behaved, unaggressive and drought tolerant, and the sessile leaves even provide fresh flavor for tea. Like other Goldenrods, Sweet Goldenrod attracts a range of flying critters to the yard, birds to butterflies to bees, providing high quality nutrition for a range of insect pollinators. And just in case you missed the memo, Goldenrods do not cause Hay Fever — that is a response to windborne pollen from species such as Ragweed.

Last Updated: November 13, 2021

Key Info

Scientific Name: Solidago odora Aiton spp. odora
Common Names: Sweet Goldenrod, Anise-scented Goldenrod, Fragrant Goldenrod, Blue Mountain Tea
Family Name: Asteraceae (Composite, or Daisy Family)
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Uses: Perennial Border, Naturalizing, Meadow, Shady perennial border, Herb garden, Roadside
Light Requirement: Full sun, Partial/sunny, Partial/shady
Moisture Requirement: Dry, Medium
Bloom Times: Aug, Sep
Flower Color: Yellow
Special Characteristics: Attracts bees, Attracts butterflies, Candidate for fire management, Attracts birds, Rhizomatous, Tolerates shade, Tolerates dry conditions, Tolerates Black Walnut, Reported to be deer resistant., Good cut flower

Additional Info

Habit: Slender, upright perennial wildflower with glossy, branched, downy green or reddish stems and anise-scented foliage. Hairs on the stems are in distinct vertical lines (a diagnostic character). Plants are mostly clump-forming but can expand slowly from short rhizomes.
Height: 2-4'
Spread: 1-2'
Growth Rate: Moderate
Soil Conditions: Medium to dry, well drained, acidic, sandy, loamy, clay or even gravelly soils.
Leaves: Leaves are dark green and glossy, to 4 inches long x 3⁄4 inch wide, alternate, sessile, entire, lance-shaped, with parallel veins, untoothed and marked with translucent dots. They are smooth beneath but dotted with glands. Foliage releases a licorice or anise scent when crushed.
Flowers (or reproductive structures): The inflorescence is a yellow, pyramidal panicle of flowers about as wide as it is tall, up to 7 inches long. The individual ¼-inch blossoms appear in crowded rows along only the upper sides of the plume branchlets. Each flower has 3-4 ray florets surrounding a similar number of disc florets.
Fruit: Florets mature into small achenes crowned by tufts of hair.
Natural Distribution: Indigenous to dry open woods, savannas, sandy pinelands, sandhills, pine barrens, old fields and other disturbed sites in the eastern U.S. This species thrives in sites that are subjected to controlled burns.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 10
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: Not available.
Pollination: Bees, wasps, butterflies and other insects.
Wildlife Connections: Attracts butterflies, bees, ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies and other beneficial insects which rely on Goldenrods as a major food source. Goldenrods are among the most important late-season pollen and nectar sources for native bees. (Goldenrod nectar has a high sugar content.) Beekeepers often use Goldenrods as the primary food source for winter.
Pharmacology: A medicinal tea can be prepared from the licorice-scented leaves and dried, fully exxpanded flowers of Sweet Goldenrod. Historically, the foliage has been used to treat a variety of problems including wounds, ulcers, urinary disorders, flatulence and as a stimulant. Goldenrods have also been linked to cases of allergic dermatitis and the leaves appear to be toxic to sheep.
Cultural Notes: Deadhead after flowering to avoid self-seeding.
Downside: Self seeds a bit much for a small or tidy garden, though it is not as aggressive as some other Goldenrods.
Propagation: Increase by seed or by division.
Other Notes: Goldenrods tend to hybridize, so identifying individuals in the wild can be a challenge.
USDA/NRCS Plant Distribution Map: View Map at USDA.gov
View All Plant Availability & Pricing

Footer

contact us

facebook.com/curenursery
curenursery@gmail.com
Office/Jen/Bill:  919-542-6186

Who we are

Cure Nursery is a small nursery propagating and selling native plants for the Southeastern U.S. We are located near the town of Pittsboro, Chatham County, in central NC.

our hours

Cure Nursery operates by appointment only. Call us or email us to place an order for pick up or to arrange a time to come visit the nursery.

Copyright © 2022 Cure Nursery · All Rights Reserved · Resources · Website by Tomatillo Design