Bloomipedia
Flat-topped goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia)
Photo: Bill Keim via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Flat-topped goldenrod

Euthamia graminifolia

Flat-topped goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly August–September across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Flat-topped goldenrod is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in August–September.

38states where USDA records it
2Bloomipedia state lists include it
12,074U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Pennsylvania, Rhode Island

Quick look

Euthamia graminifolia, the grass-leaved goldenrod or flat-top goldenrod, is a North American species of plants in the family Asteraceae.

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 38 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. NatureServe
  • In Pennsylvania, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–September. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,097 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #103 among the 190 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 164 research-grade sightings of it in Rhode Island, ranking #96 among the 164 flowers on our Rhode Island list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,304 records)
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
PennsylvaniaNativeAugust–September2,097
Rhode IslandNativefew records (26)164

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Pennsylvania
Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: S5, secure in Pennsylvania. 17 Pa. Code Ch. 45
Rhode Island
Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. RI rare plants 2016
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AR (S1), CO (S2), ID (S1), OK (S1), SC (S1), WY (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records flat-topped goldenrod in 38 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York.

Rhode Island counties with USDA records: Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, Washington.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Introduced; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 901 counties across 34 states; the most are in Illinois (92), Indiana (78), Ohio (77).

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More Pennsylvania flowers

White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in PA: August–October
Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense)

Creeping thistle

Cirsium arvense

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in PA: June–July
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in PA: June–October

Sources