Solidago canadensis, Canada goldenrod
Coladonato, Milo. 1993. Solidago canadensis, Canada goldenrod. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/solcan
| Abbreviation | Common Name | Scientific Name | Classification | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plants | ||||
| SOLCAN | Canada goldenrod | Solidago canadensis | Life Form: Plants/Forb Kingdom: Plantae Class: Dicot Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Genus: Solidago | Fed. Protected: No Nativity: Native Invasiveness: Noninvasive |
Taxonomy
The currently accepted scientific name for Canada goldenrod is Solidago canadensis L. [10]. Five varieties are recognized [10]:
- Solidago canadensis var. canadensis L.
- Solidago canadensis var. gilvocanescens Rydb.
- Solidago canadensis var. salebrosa (Piper) M. E. Jones
- Solidago canadensis var. scarbra T. & G.
- Solidago canadensis var. hargeri Fern.
Taxonomy within the genus Solidago is complicated due to great intraspecific variation and geographic clines in characteristics [38].
Synonyms
- No entry
Other Common Names
None
General Distribution
Canada goldenrod is widespread across North America. It occurs in almost every state and throughout Canada [4,16,34,37].
States and Provinces
- United States: AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NH NJ NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY
- Canada: AB BC MB NB NF NT NS ON PE PQ SK YT
Site Characteristics
Canada goldenrod occurs on abandoned farmlands, infrequently grazed pastures, waste areas, and tallgrass prairies [38]. It is also found along roadsides and fence lines, in dry open fields, and in open woods or damp meadows that dry out every year [18]. It can tolerate a fairly wide range of soil fertility and texture conditions, but is typically found in fairly moist soils. It is not found on waterlogged sites and is found only rarely on very dry sites [31,38].
Plant Communities
Canada goldenrod is sometimes dominant or codominant in disturbed forest understories [38]. It also may dominate or codominate Midwestern prairies [11]. Canada goldenrod is named as an herbaceous layer dominant in the following publication:
- Subalpine forb community types of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming [14].
Common understory associates of Canada goldenrod include red clover (Trifolium pratense), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), Carolina nightshade (Solanum carolinense), Missouri goldenrod (Solidago missouriensis), small white ladyslipper (Cypripedium candidum), sticky geranium (Geranium viscosissimum), northern bedstraw (Galium boreale) and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) [6,9,16,36].
Botanical Description
Canada goldenrod at Crater Lake National Park.
Canada goldenrod is an erect, rhizomatous perennial herb growing to heights of about 6 feet (1.8 m) and forming large clonal colonies [13,38,39]. Alternate leaves surround the central stem with the larger leaves occurring on the lower stem. Flowers are borne on numerous small flower heads. The fruit is an achene [30]. The rhizomes arise mostly from the base of the aerial stems, and are usually 2 to 5 inches (5-12 cm) long [27,30,34].
Raunkiaer Life Form (Raunkiaer 1934)
- Hemicryptophyte
Seasonal Development
Canada goldenrod rhizomes are usually produced in late autumn and lie dormant during the winter months. Shoot extension occurs the following spring [38]. Canada goldenrod flowers from July through September, although the length of its flowering season varies with geographic location. Seeds are gradually dispersed during the autumn and winter [3,20].
Regeneration Processes
Canada goldenrod reproduces from seed and from creeping rhizomes [25,30]. The flowers are self-incompatible and are pollinated by insects. The seed is wind dispersed, with most seeds falling within 6.5 feet (2.0 m) of the parent plant [38].
Vegetative reproduction: Canada goldenrod reproduces from rhizomes after the first year of growth. One erect stem usually forms at a rhizome node. Each rhizome can produce a single shoot from its apical tip [2,38].
Successional Status
Canada goldenrod is fairly shade intolerant although it occurs in sparsely wooded areas [38]. It is one of the first species to invade following disturbances including fire [23]. Canada goldenrod is eventually replaced by shrubs [32].
Immediate Fire Effects
Fire top-kills all aerial portions of Canada goldenrod [12,25].
Postfire Regeneration Strategy (Stickney 1989)
- Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil
- Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
Fire Adaptations
Canada goldenrod is generally enhanced by fire. It regenerates after fire from on-site soil-stored seed and underground rhizomes [25,40].
Plant Response to Fire
Canada goldenrod responds positively following low- to moderate-severity fires [23,27]. On a northwestern Minnesota prairie site, Canada goldenrod showed increased flowering following a prescribed spring fire [25]. In Wisconsin, prescribed fire had little effect on percent cover of Canada goldenrod but accounted for an increase in stem density [15].
In a 53-year record of forest succession following fire in northern lower Michigan, Canada goldenrod had its greatest frequency index 24 years after fire [28].
In a study of plant succession in the Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) brush zone after fire, Canada goldenrod showed a higher average number of plants on burned areas than on unburned areas, even after 18 years [22].
In May and June, fires in wetland margins of southeastern North Dakota were conducted for the purpose of increasing cover and forage for waterfowl. In the summer after fires and the next year, Canada goldenrod was either unchanged or reduced in cover as compared to control plots [24].
The Research Project Summary “Understory recovery after low- and high-intensity fires in northern Idaho ponderosa pine forests” provides information on prescribed fire use and postfire response of plant community species including Canada goldenrod.
Fire Regimes
For fire regime information, search FEIS for this species by entering the species name or acronym on the home page and selecting “Fire Regime” as the publication type.
Fire Management Considerations
No entry.
Federal Status
None
Other Status
No entry.
Importance to Wildlife and Livestock
White-tailed deer selectively graze Canada goldenrod, particularly in late summer and autumn after inflorescence development [17,38].
Palatability and Nutritional Value
In Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming, Canada goldenrod is rated good to fair in palatability for cattle, sheep, and horses [5].
Cover Value
Canada goldenrod provides poor cover for elk, deer, pronghorn, and upland game birds [5].
Value for Rehabilitation or Restoration of Disturbed Sites
No entry.
Other Uses
Canada goldenrod is an important source of nectar for honeybees [38]. Several shades of dye can be produced from Canada goldenrod [1].
Other Management Considerations
Canada goldenrod is not a serious weed in annual crops, and it seldom reaches densities that are a problem in rangelands. It does, however, invade poorly managed pastures and can be a pest in forest nurseries, perennial gardens, and crops [38,39].
Canada goldenrod has an allelopathic effect on sugar maple (Acer saccharum) seedlings and reduces germination of herbaceous species, including itself [38].
Response to Herbicides: The response of Canada goldenrod to herbicides is affected by population age. In Quebec, a young population which had recently invaded a disturbed site was less susceptible to 2,4-D than an old, established population. Conversely, susceptibility to paraquat, simazine, and diuron declined with population age [38].
Table A1— Forest and range ecosystems, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) physiographic regions, Kuchler plant associations, Society for American Foresters (SAF) forest cover types, and Society for Rangeland Management (SRM) rangeland cover types in which this species occurs.
Forest and Range Ecosystems (Garrison et al. 1977)
- Widely distributed, occurs in most types within its range.
BLM Physiographic Regions (Bernard and Brown 1977)
- 2 Cascade Mountains
- 4 Sierra Mountains
- 5 Columbia Plateau
- 6 Upper Basin and Range
- 7 Lower Basin and Range
- 8 Northern Rocky Mountains
- 9 Middle Rocky Mountains
- 10 Wyoming Basin
- 11 Southern Rocky Mountains
- 12 Colorado Plateau
- 13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
- 14 Great Plains
- 15 Black Hills Uplift
- 16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands
Kuchler Plant Associations (Kuchler 1964)
- Widely distributed, occurs in most types within its range.
SAF Cover Types (Eyre 1980)
- Widely distributed, occurs in most types within its range.
SRM Rangeland Cover Types (Shiflet 1994)
- Widely distributed, occurs in most types within its range.
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