Flower profile

Tall goldenrod

Solidago altissima

Tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly September–October across the U.S.

★ Official state wildflower of South Carolina (2003)Native in the lower 48

Tall goldenrod is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in September–October.

43states where USDA records it

3Bloomipedia state lists include it

9,095U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina

🏅

South Carolina's official state wildflower since 2003. Visit the South Carolina page → ^{S.C. Code § 1-1-704}

Quick look

Solidago altissima, the tall goldenrod or late goldenrod, is a North American species of goldenrod in the family Asteraceae which is widespread across much of Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is common in much of its range and fairly tolerant of landscapes which have been disturbed by humans. It has become naturalized in many parts of the world.
From Wikipedia's article Solidago altissima, 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 43 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Mississippi, Louisiana and South Carolina. ^NatureServe
In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in September–October. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 5 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 473 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #42 among the 154 flowers on our Mississippi list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 466 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #78 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 62 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #111 among the 171 flowers on our South Carolina list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,245 records)

Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Mississippi	Native	September–October	473
Louisiana	Native	few records (45)	466
South Carolina	Native	few records (6)	62

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
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Louisiana: No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Carolina.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 tall goldenrod in 43 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, 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, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Mississippi counties with USDA records: Copiah, DeSoto, Forrest, Lafayette, Lauderdale, Leake, Lee, Marshall, Panola, Perry, Pontotoc, Rankin, Scott, Washington, Winston.

Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Terrebonne, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll, West Feliciana, Winn.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, Greenwood, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marlboro, McCormick, Newberry, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union, Williamsburg, York.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Tall goldenrod a medium shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.2 to 7.3 and winter lows down to -28 °F.

Shade tolerance: Medium
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 5.2 to 7.3
Minimum temperature tolerated: -28 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 130
Annual precipitation range: 18 to 55 inches
Minimum root depth: 8 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Rapid
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring, Summer, Fall
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 SOAL6. 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; Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Solidago hirsutissima, Solidago lunellii.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 1294 counties across 35 states; the most are in Virginia (99), Indiana (87), North Carolina (87).

Other Solidago on Bloomipedia (8): Goldenrods, Bluestem goldenrod, Northern seaside goldenrod, Common wrinkle-leaved goldenrod, Broad-leaved goldenrod, Stiff-leaved 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 Mississippi flowers

Bristle thistle

Cirsium horridulum

Native

🌼 Blooms in MS: March–May

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

★ MD state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in MS: May–July

Dogfennel

Eupatorium capillifolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in MS: October–November

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SOAL6.
iNaturalist, Solidago altissima: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Solidago altissima (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
S.C. Code § 1-1-704: South Carolina state wildflower.
Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Solidago altissima (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: cwarneke via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.