Solidago sempervirens

Seaside Goldenrod, salt-marsh goldenrod

Description: perennial

Place of origin: Atlantic coast of North America

Urban habitat: commonly found along highways; thrives in full sun, drought tolerant.

Ecological function: disturbance-adapted colonizer; food for wildlife. It is a major source of food for fall migrating monarch butterfly.

History: Solidago sempervirens is found from Newfoundland to Florida, the Bahamas, Texas, and along the Gulf Coast in Mexico. It has expanded its range to include the Great Lakes region and in the Azores. Its native habitat on coastal dunes means the plant is highly tolerate of road salt in the urban environment and has expanded its range in the past 30 years to include roadsides. Many plants in the Solidago genus have been used for medicinal purposes by Native American tribes, for treatment of skin abrasions, fevers, snakebite, headache, sore throat, mumps, intestinal ailments, diarrhea, arthritis, and diseases of the urinary tract.