Solidago flexicaulis (Zigzag Goldenrod) Unity Grown

Solidago flexicaulis, commonly called zigzag goldenrod for its occasionally zigzag shaped stems and flower arrangement, is an upright perennial wildflower noted for its bright yellow flowers in the late summer and fall. A compact and naturally showy variety among goldenrods, Solidago flexicaulis grows to only 1-3’ tall and wide in a variety of locations where other plants have difficulty, like waste sites with poor or polluted soils, or old agricultural sites with compacted, nutrient poor soil. Like other goldenrods, zigzag goldenrod prefers medium to dry soils and full sun or part shade conditions, but is otherwise not picky. Fall-blooming flowers are highly attractive to a wide variety of pollinator species, including native specialist bees and a number of interesting moth species, and plants support bird populations through the winter with dried seed heads.

Capable of slowly colonizing an area due to its rhizomatic roots and prolific seed production, Solidago flexicaulis has the tendency to spread in open meadow or large garden conditions, but this spreading behavior makes it an excellent choice for environmental rehabilitation projects, wildflower meadows, or naturalized pollinator gardens. While goldenrods will always make you wait for their floral display, zigzag goldenrod blooms are absolutely worth the wait, making for excellent live specimens in the field and excellent additions to cut flower arrangements in the fall. Though goldenrods get a bad wrap for potentially causing hay fever, this is not the case, as goldenrod pollen is too heavy to become wind-borne, and instead relies on bees, beetles, and butterflies, to get around the garden.