Common Name: Early Goldenrod
Family: Asteraceae
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Hardiness Zones: 3–9
Height: 2.0 to 4.0 feet
Spread: 1.5 to 2.5 feet
Bloom Time: July to September (earlier than most goldenrods)
Bloom Description: Bright yellow clusters on arching panicles
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Water Needs: Dry to medium
Soil Preference: Well-drained sandy or rocky soils
Maintenance Level: Low
Suggested Use: Prairie plantings, pollinator gardens, slopes
Attracts: Bees, butterflies, beneficial insects
Tolerates: Drought, poor soils, deer, clay
Notable Features: One of the earliest blooming goldenrods, strong pollinator value, upright form
Native Range:
Widespread in eastern and central North America, including Nebraska, where it grows in prairies, roadsides, savannas, and open woodlands.
Nebraska Growing Notes:
Well-suited to dry upland prairie environments, meadow edges, and sunny slopes. It’s often one of the first goldenrods to bloom, filling the late summer gap for pollinators before asters and later goldenrods emerge.
Landscape Use:
Pairs well with purple coneflower, little bluestem, monarda, and liatris. Works well in ecological plantings, native borders, and wildlife gardens.
Caution:
Not as aggressive as some other Solidago species, but may self-seed. Does not cause allergies—often wrongly blamed for hay fever (which is typically caused by wind-pollinated ragweed blooming at the same time).
Garden Locations:
Sources:
https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/SOJU
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g670