SolidagoDescription, History & Interesting Facts:
This family of herbaceous perennial plants belongs to the daisy family; with about 100 species, most of them native to the prairies, river banks, and mountains of North America. They've also spread widely throughout Europe, especially along roadsides and in vacant lots.
In cultivation Solidago species have largely been replaced by their hybrids. These hybrids are a varied group and can form tight or spreading clumps, ranging from 30cm to 1.8m tall.
Some species of Golden rod spread vigorously and can be invasive if not controlled, but luckily most of the modern hybrids do not have the same invasive tendencies as the species.
Goldenrods are mostly short-day plants and bloom in late summer and early autumn. Hybrids have many subtle variations of yellow flowers, including a pale primrose yellow, canary yellow and golden yellow. Most new garden varieties will grow quickly to about 40cm tall and 30cm wide.
In the Garden:
Introduce the colours of autumn into your garden by planting Goldenrod in cottage or meadow gardens as well as bee and butterfly gardens.
The short varieties make excellent border plants and the taller varieties are great planted in the back of the flower bed.
Goldenrod is used as a food plant by the larvae of various Lepidoptera butterfly species and the flowers last well in a vase. If the seed heads are left on the plants in winter, they will attract seed eating birds to the garden.
Cultivation/Propagation:
Solidago are easy, undemanding plants that grow throughout South Africa, except for those very dry regions; and are hardy to frost.
Plant them in full sun, in good, well-drained soil, water regularly in summer and protect them from strong winds.
These plants will die down in winter, only to spring back to life again in spring. Cut out the spent blooms regularly to prolong flowering and cut back all the stems down to the ground once they have finished flowering.
Overcrowded plants can be divided every 2 to 3 years.
Propagation is by seed or the division of plants. Feed in summer with an organic 3:1:5 fertiliser; do not feed with high nitrogen fertilisers or it may encourage excessive growth that tends to flop over.