Solidago caesia

On a wooded ridge in September, yellow blossoms arch brightly across the forest floor as though tracing the paths of unseen woodland sprites. The blossoms belong to wreath goldenrod, and as for the sprites - indeed, they are present, clad in black and yellow and buzzing from bloom to bloom.

With its arching form, this flower of the forest doesn’t match the common notion of a goldenrod. But like other goldenrods, wreath goldenrod is beloved by bees and a wide range of other pollinators. Bumble bees and metallic green sweat bees are some of the most frequent visitors.

In the garden, wreath goldenrod grows well under part shade to shade and in soil moisture ranging from moderate to moderately dry. This plant is an especially good choice for drier woodland gardens, where it works well in combination with white wood aster and white goldenrod.

Research into goldenrod habitats and bloom times shows some of the ways these plants compete with one another for pollinators’ attention. When two goldenrod species occupy the same habitat, they will often bloom at different times. And when goldenrod bloom times overlap, the species in question typically occupy different habitats. Each goldenrod species thus attempts to ensure that when it blooms, it has maximum access to local pollinators with respect to other, nearby goldenrods. This point is well demonstrated by wreath goldenrod and zigzag goldenrod: although both are species of the forest with overlapping bloom times, wreath goldenrod tends to grow in drier upland woods whereas zigzag goldenrod tends to grow in wetter lowland woods, such as floodplain forests.

References: 1,2,3,4,5.

Photos by Julie Slater.