Bloomipedia
Giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)
Photo: John Dziak via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized

Flower profile

Giant goldenrod

Solidago gigantea

★ Official state flower of Nebraska (1895)Native to Nebraska

Giant goldenrod is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

47states
42NE sightings*
2,778U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Nebraska

🏅
Nebraska's official state flower since 1895. Visit the Nebraska page → 1895 Neb. Laws ch. 120 (House Roll 366) The 1895 resolution named Solidago serotina, an older name for giant goldenrod, Solidago gigantea.

Quick look

Solidago gigantea is a North American plant species in the family Asteraceae. Its common names include tall goldenrod and giant goldenrod, among others.

  • 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 47 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Nebraska. NatureServe
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as indeterminate. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 8.2 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 42 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #104 among the 108 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (486 records)

There are only a handful of Nebraska flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

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
Nebraska
Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: UT (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 giant goldenrod in 47 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

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

Nebraska counties with USDA records: Adams, Banner, Buffalo, Cass, Cedar, Cherry, Cheyenne, Cuming, Custer, Dawes, Dawson, Dodge, Douglas, Gage, Greeley, Hall, Hamilton, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Holt, Hooker, Howard, Kearney, Lancaster, Lincoln, Morrill, Nance, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Red Willow, Richardson, Saline, Sarpy, Saunders, Scotts Bluff, Seward, Sherman, Sioux, Thayer, Thomas, Valley, Webster.

More Nebraska flowers

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NE
White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NE
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in NE

Sources