Photo: Georg Slickers, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Perennial · Asteraceae

Canadian goldenrod

Solidago canadensis

In other languages: Canadese guldenroede (Nederlands) · Solidage du Canada (Français)

Canadian goldenrod comes from North America and reached Europe as an ornamental plant in the 17th century. It forms dense stands of straight stems 1–1.5 m tall with narrow leaves, which from August to October end in large, arching plumes of tiny golden-yellow flowers. Bees, bumblebees and butterflies love it, because it flowers late in the season and offers plenty of nectar and pollen. But it is also an invasive alien: with its rhizomes and thousands of fluffy seeds it overruns roadsides, waste ground and nature reserves. So choose the native European goldenrod instead; if you do plant it, keep it firmly under control.

Caution: Invasive alien. Canadian goldenrod spreads by rhizomes and by thousands of fluffy seeds that blow far away. It forms dense, uniform stands on verges, waste ground and in nature areas, crowding out native plants. Do not plant it near natural habitats, never let it set seed and never dump garden waste in the countryside.

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Sun or partial shade
preferably some sun
Moisture
Dry to normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Sand, loam or clay
any pH
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -35 °C
Size
1.5 m
tall, 1 m wide
Flowering
August–October

Key facts
Pruning months	September–November
Height	1.5 m
Native to Belgium	No, an invasive alien species
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees and butterflies
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous
Flowering	August–October

Identify

Canadian goldenrod: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Dense stands of straight stems, branched at the top, 1–1.5 m tall, spreading quickly by rhizomes.
Leaves: Narrowly lance-shaped, 5–15 cm, finely toothed, with three clear veins; the stem is hairy towards the top.
Flower: Large, pyramid-shaped plumes with arching, one-sided side branches full of tiny golden-yellow flower heads, from August to October.
Fruit: Small seeds with a tuft of down that blow far away; a single plant produces thousands.
Roots: Creeping rhizomes that form dense, uniform stands and are hard to remove.

Flowering: August–October · Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: September–November

In your garden

Why grow it?

Late flowering from August to October, when few other flowers are about.
A top plant for bees, bumblebees, hoverflies and butterflies.
Very tough: grows in sun and part shade, on sand, loam and clay.
The golden plumes look good in a large bouquet.
But: the native European goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea) is just as valuable for insects and does not spread invasively.

Canadian goldenrod: where does it grow best?

Sun or part shade; it grows almost anywhere, even on poor or disturbed ground.
Sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky, dry to moderately moist.
Never plant it near a ditch, verge, hedgerow or nature area: from there it spreads further.
Only in a contained spot: in a large tub or behind a root barrier at least 30 cm deep.
Allow 1 m of space per plant if you do plant it.

Light: Sun and partial shade
Soil type: Sand, loam or clay
Acidity: Not fussy
Moisture: Dry or normal
Size: 1.5 m tall, 1 m wide
Hardiness: Hardy (to -35 °C)

Goes well with

Ice plant: Also flowers late and attracts the same bees and butterflies.
Purple coneflower: Pink next to golden yellow in late summer.
Globe thistle: Blue globes as a contrast to the yellow plumes.
Ornamental grasses: Airy plumes that stay attractive once the goldenrod has been cut back.

Maintenance

Canadian goldenrod: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

Think first: the native European goldenrod is a better choice for the same spot.
If you do plant it, do so from March to May or in September–October.
Sink a root barrier at least 30 cm deep around the planting spot, or grow it in a large tub on the patio.
Set the plant at the same depth as it was in its pot and firm the soil.
Water when planting; after that it needs hardly any care.

Care

Water: Only for the first few weeks after planting. After that it copes even in dry summers.
Feeding: Do not feed: in rich soil it grows even taller and spreads even faster.
Deadheading: Cut off each plume as soon as it has finished flowering, before any fluff appears. This stops it setting seed.
Runners: Every spring, slice off rhizomes growing outside the planting spot and remove them completely.
Garden waste: Do not put rhizomes or seeding plumes on your own compost heap and never dump them in the countryside: they take root again. Put them out with the general waste.

Tip: For the same yellow late-summer flowers, choose the native European goldenrod instead. If you do plant the Canadian one, cut off each plume as soon as it has finished flowering.

Canadian goldenrod: when to prune it?

Pruning months: September–November.

When: Cut the plumes off in September–October as soon as they have finished flowering, before the seeds ripen. Then, in October–November, cut all stems down to the ground.

How:

Cut off faded plumes straight away; do not wait until you see fluff.
After flowering, cut all stems down to just above the ground.
Slice off runners outside the planting spot with a sharp spade.
Bag up prunings with seed and put them out with the general waste.

Caution: Do not leave the plumes standing as winter decoration: the seeds blow far away and germinate on verges and in nature areas.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division: Possible in spring with a spade, but better not to propagate it and do not give pieces away. If you want more goldenrod, plant the native European goldenrod.

Canadian goldenrod: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −35 °C.

Fully hardy, to about −35 °C: no protection needed.
Cut the stems down after flowering rather than leaving them over winter, so no seed blows away.
It also survives winter in a tub; a tub is in fact the safest way to keep the rhizomes in check.

Diseases and pests

Spreading: New shoots keep appearing further from the plant. Install a root barrier, slice off runners every spring and remove them roots and all.
Seedlings: Young plants pop up in the garden and nearby. Pull them out while they are small, with their roots.
Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in late summer. Usually harmless; give it an airy spot and cut out badly affected stems.
Getting rid of it: Want it gone? Dig out all the rhizomes, then pull up every new shoot for a few years, or mow large patches twice a year, in May and August, before it flowers. No chemicals needed, just patience.

Through the year

March: Slice off runners outside the planting spot.
April: Pull up seedlings and stray shoots. Plant, preferably in a tub.
May: Plant, but only in a tub or behind a root barrier.
August: Flowering starts. Bees and butterflies enjoy it.
September: Cut off faded plumes before they set seed.
October: Cut off the last plumes. Cut stems down to the ground.
November: Cut the last stems. Put prunings out with the general waste.

Use

Good for wildlife

Bees: Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.
Butterflies: Nectar for butterflies.

You and this species

Did you know?

Giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) looks very similar and is also invasive. The stem tells them apart: hairy towards the top in Canadian goldenrod, smooth and often with a bluish bloom in giant goldenrod.
Goldenrod pollen is heavy and sticky and is carried by insects, not by the wind.
A whole patch of stems is often one and the same plant: all the shoots are connected underground by rhizomes.

Garden plants · All species