Gray Goldenrod
Solidago nemoralis
The goldenrod for hard, dry places: graceful one-sided golden arches over gray-green foliage, compact and nearly indestructible.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The goldenrod that thrives in genuinely dry, lean, difficult conditions. compact, deer-resistant, and reliably beautiful in fall without any intervention.
Gray Goldenrod is the goldenrod for the hard spots: dry, sandy, rocky, nutrient-poor soils where almost nothing else will bloom in fall. The gray-green, somewhat woolly foliage gives the plant its common name, and the gracefully one-sided (secund) arching flower plumes are among the prettiest in the genus, not the bold burst of 'Fireworks' but a quiet, elegant arch of golden yellow that bends toward the light. It grows one to two and a half feet tall, staying compact and upright without staking. This is the goldenrod for dry meadows, gravel paths, rock gardens, and sandy bank restorations. It tolerates compacted, lean soil better than any other Solidago and thrives where better-known species would struggle. The compact size, graceful flower plumes, and near-indestructible drought tolerance make it one of the most useful goldenrods for residential landscapes with challenging conditions. Pollinators find it as readily as they find any other goldenrod.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown gray goldenrod propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 1–2.5 ft · 12–18 in wide
- Bloom time
- Late summer through fall
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America from Nova Scotia south to Florida; dry, open, sandy or rocky soils, barrens, roadsides
Care notes for gray goldenrod.
Full sun, dry to very dry well-drained soil. Does not tolerate wet feet or rich soil. excess moisture and fertility make it floppy. Minimal maintenance required. Cut back in spring. Spreads moderately by rhizome. Self-seeds lightly. Essentially zero-input once established in the right conditions. No pest or disease concerns.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside gray goldenrod.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
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Shade Bed Package
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Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.