Flower profile

Stiff-leaved goldenrod

Solidago rigida

Stiff-leaved goldenrod (Solidago rigida) 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

Stiff-leaved goldenrod is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in August–September.

27states where USDA records it

7Bloomipedia state lists include it

9,279U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Quick look

Solidago rigida, known by the common names stiff goldenrod and stiff-leaved goldenrod, is a North American plant species in the family Asteraceae. It has a widespread distribution in Canada and the United States, where it is found primarily east of the Rocky Mountains. It is typically found in open, dry areas associated with calcareous or sandy soil. Habitats include prairies, savannas, and glades.
From Wikipedia's article Solidago rigida, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 27 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–September. ^iNaturalist
In Minnesota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–September. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3.6 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 1,993 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #94 among the 180 flowers on our Illinois list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,954 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #62 among the 152 flowers on our Minnesota list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 282 research-grade sightings of it in Iowa, ranking #92 among the 147 flowers on our Iowa list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (699 records)

Bloom time in the 7 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Illinois	Native	August–September	1,993
Minnesota	Native	August–September	1,954
Iowa	Native	few records (31)	282
Kansas	Native	few records (11)	281
South Dakota	Native	few records (10)	229
Nebraska	Native	few records (6)	198
North Dakota	Native	few records (41)	155

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

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 4 of our 7 states.

See each state

Illinois: Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Illinois. ^{IL E&T checklist 2025}
Minnesota: Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. ^{Minn. R. 6134.0300}
Iowa: Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Iowa. ^{IAC 571-77.3}
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}

Kansas

No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Kansas.

South Dakota

No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.

North Dakota

No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.

Rare elsewhere

Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CT (S1), DC (SX), MA (SH), MD (S1), NC (S2), NY (S2), PA (S1), SC (S1), VA (S2). (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 stiff-leaved goldenrod in 27 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago.

Minnesota counties with USDA records: Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Lac qui Parle, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, McLeod, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nobles, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Rice, Roseau, Scott, Sherburne, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine.

Iowa counties with USDA records: Adair, Adams, Audubon, Cass, Cherokee, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Lyon, Madison, Mahaska, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Ringgold, Shelby, Story, Taylor, Union, Woodbury.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Stiff-leaved goldenrod a medium shade tolerance, high drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.0 to 7.5 and winter lows down to -43 °F.

Shade tolerance: Medium
Drought tolerance: High
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 5.0 to 7.5
Minimum temperature tolerated: -43 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 80
Annual precipitation range: 14 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth: 12 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Rapid
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, seed, sprigs
Commercial availability: No Known Source

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for OLRIR. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Oligoneuron grandiflorum, Solidago grandiflora.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 602 counties across 25 states; the most are in Illinois (85), Kansas (75), Minnesota (73).

Other Solidago on Bloomipedia (8): Goldenrods, Bluestem goldenrod, Northern seaside goldenrod, Common wrinkle-leaved goldenrod, Broad-leaved goldenrod, Tall goldenrod, Silverrod, Giant goldenrod.

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

More Illinois flowers

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in IL: August–October

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in IL: June–September

Compass plant

Silphium laciniatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in IL: June–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile OLRIR.
iNaturalist, Solidago rigida: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Solidago rigida (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (11):
Show all 11 state lists
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Solidago rigida (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Tom Lazar via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.