Zigzag Goldenrod

Plant Info

Also known as:	Broad-leaved Goldenrod
Scientific name:	Solidago flexicaulis
Family:	Aster (Asteraceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	part shade; woods
Bloom season:	late summer, early fall
Plant height:	1 to 3 feet
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

Spike clusters 2 to 6 inches long of 3/8-inch yellow flowers with 3 to 5 petals (ray flowers). Spikes branch from the leaf joints on the upper part of the plant and stay erect, not nodding over like many other goldenrods do.

Leaves and stem:

Leaves are up to 3 inches wide and 5 inches long, softly hairy and coarsely toothed with a broad rounded base and pointed tip. The leaf narrows abruptly at the base, leaving “wings” on either side of the leaf stem. Leaves become smaller as they ascend the main stem.

The stem can zig-zag between the alternately attached leaves, hence the common name, but can also be nearly straight.

More photos

• full length of plant, about 2 feet tall
• a patch of Zigzag Goldenrod

Photos taken at Wild River State Park, Center City, MN and Maplewood Nature Center, Maplewood, MN, September 2007

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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