Solidago nemoralis (Old Field Goldenrod)
Solidago nemoralis (Old Field Goldenrod)
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$30 minimum per species for seed.
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Pure Live Seed
Pure Live Seed
Seed is provided in Pure Live Seed (PLS) unless otherwise stated.
Pure Live Seed (PLS) expresses the viable seed content of a seed lot using its purity and germination or viability test results. It helps you compare seed lots and calculate how much bulk seed is needed to meet a specified PLS planting rate.
PLS weight and bag weight
PLS weight is not the same as the total weight of seed in a bag. For example, a lot with 80% purity and 75% viability contains 60% PLS: 80 × 75 ÷ 100 = 60. Supplying 10 lb PLS from that lot requires about 16.67 lb of bulk seed.
Use the current seed test and the stated basis of the mix specification. Germination calculations may include applicable hard or dormant seed. Seed-count estimates also require the number of seeds per pound; PLS alone does not provide a seed count.
What to check when buying a mix
Check whether each rate is stated in PLS pounds, bulk pounds, or a combination. A mix with both bases should not be described as having an all-PLS total.
PLS does not remove weed seeds or guarantee establishment. Review the seed label and analysis for weed content, and match site preparation, planting conditions and follow-up management to your project.
Sources: USDA NRCS, Understanding Pure Live Seed and The Importance of Seed Quality for Natural Resource Conservation.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
0.01 pounds = 0.16 ounces
- 0.1 pounds = 1.6 ounces
- 0.25 pounds = 4 ounces
- 0.5 pounds = 8 ounces
- 0.75 pounds = 12 ounces
- 1.00 pounds = 16 ounces
Gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis) produces yellow flowers in late summer and fall on relatively low plants with gray-green foliage. It is useful in open, dry prairie plantings where larger goldenrods would be too tall or too dense.
Give it full sun and well-drained soil. Dry sandy or rocky ground is suitable, and established plants tolerate drought. Plants can become taller and more vigorous in rich soil, so a lean site often better matches the compact appearance expected from this species. Light shade is tolerated, but dense shade is a poor choice.
Despite its smaller size, gray goldenrod can spread through rhizomes and reseeding. It is well suited to a meadow where new plants are welcome; a small border needs occasional attention to seedlings and expanding patches. Removing seed heads limits seed dispersal, while rhizomatous growth may still continue around the existing plants.
Plant specifications & ecological relationships
Key growing facts
| Sunlight | Full sun |
|---|---|
| Soil moisture | Dry-mesic to dry |
| Height | About ½-2½ ft |
| Bloom season | Fall |
Native landscape companions
For full sun and dry soil, consider these native plants alongside Solidago nemoralis:
| Companion plant | Height |
|---|---|
| Copper-shouldered Oval Sedge (Carex bicknellii) | About 1½–2½ ft |
| Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) | 1-2½ ft |
| Pale Beardtongue (Penstemon pallidus) | 1–2½ ft |
| Side Oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) | About 2–2½ ft |
These landscape suggestions combine overlapping growing needs with documented plant associations. Match soil, seasonal wetness and mature spread to your site. Remnant records are described separately under Plant communities & associates.
Show / hide ▾Growing & planting details
| Growth habit | Low perennial with a tendency to form clonal colonies at suitable sites |
|---|---|
| Root form | Fibrous roots; Rhizomes |
| Soil pH | Published cultivation guidance lists acidic soil conditions; no optimal numeric interval is established. |
| Cultivation hardiness zones | Zones 3a–9b (general cultivation guidance) |
| Drought tolerance | Drought tolerance reported in cultivation guidance; establishment needs and duration are not specified. |
| Deer browsing | Deer occasionally browse the foliage. |
| Salt tolerance | None |
Plant identification & seed reference
| Botanical name | Solidago nemoralis |
|---|---|
| Other common names | old-field goldenrod; Common Goldenrod; Goldenrod; Gray Goldenrod; Old Field Goldenrod |
| Seed germination | USDA lists cold stratification as not required; seed-lot response may vary. |
| Plant family | Asteraceae |
| Seeds per pound — reference estimate | 1008000 |
Plant characteristics
This short growing goldenrod can be found in dry prairies and savannas. It can reach anywhere between 6-24" and has an upright growth pattern. It creates a flat ray of yellow flowers that will start to droop as the season moves on. It can be found with Asclepias tuberosa, Carex pensylvanica, and Helianthus occidentalis.
Show / hide ▾Plant communities & associates
Documented Illinois communities
Mature dry sand prairie — burned
Lost Mound — Jo Daviess County, Illinois; 2005 survey.
Other native plants recorded in this survey area: Amorpha canescens, Andropogon gerardii, Anemone cylindrica, Asclepias verticillata, Asclepias viridiflora, Aster ericoides, Bouteloua curtipendula, Bouteloua hirsuta, Ceanothus americanus, Coreopsis palmata, Dalea purpurea, Eragrostis spectabilis.
Selected species from the ground layer. The survey includes disturbance and succession; these records do not specify immediate neighbors or planting proportions.
Mature dry sand prairie
Big River Natural Area — Henderson County, Illinois; 2005 survey.
Other native plants recorded in this survey area: Bouteloua hirsuta, Eragrostis spectabilis, Euphorbia corollata, Koeleria macrantha, Lespedeza capitata, Monarda punctata, Quercus velutina, Rhus aromatica, Rhus glabra, Schizachyrium scoparium, Solidago speciosa, Ambrosia psilostachya.
Selected species from the ground layer. The survey includes disturbance and succession; these records do not specify immediate neighbors or planting proportions.
Late-successional dry sand prairie
Ayers Sand Prairie Nature Preserve — Carroll County, Illinois; 2004 survey.
Other native plants recorded in this survey area: Asclepias verticillata, Aster ericoides, Eragrostis spectabilis, Euphorbia corollata, Koeleria macrantha, Lespedeza capitata, Liatris aspera, Panicum virgatum, Schizachyrium scoparium, Viola pedata, Ambrosia psilostachya, Aristida tuberculosa.
Selected species from the ground layer. The survey includes disturbance and succession; these records do not specify immediate neighbors or planting proportions.
Illinois plant communities
Mesic black-soil prairie — central Illinois
Recorded at Loda Cemetery Prairie (Iroquois County), Prospect Cemetery Prairie (Ford County). INHS identifies these sites as remnants of this community.
Selected native plants from the same remnant records:
- Sorghastrum nutans
- Andropogon gerardii
- Sporobolus heterolepis
- Eryngium yuccifolium
- Silphium laciniatum
- Parthenium integrifolium
These inventories include edges and disturbed patches. Shared remnant records do not establish that every plant grows together in one microsite.
Illinois plant communities
These regional accounts place this plant and the plants below in the same type of natural community. A community list does not mean that every species grew together in one plot. Use the habitat and location to understand the relationship; it is not a planting recipe.
- Mature dry sand prairie — Illinois sand deposits: Schizachyrium scoparium, Dichanthelium villosissimum, Ambrosia psilostachya, Lespedeza capitata, Opuntia spp.. (pp. 265)
Green River community records
Dry sand prairie: Lee County, Illinois (2006). Selected catalog plants recorded in this community: Amorpha canescens; Antennaria plantaginifolia; Asclepias verticillata; Coreopsis lanceolata; Euphorbia corollata; Koeleria macrantha.
Dry-mesic sand prairie: Lee County, Illinois (2006). Selected catalog plants recorded in this community: Andropogon gerardii; Antennaria plantaginifolia; Asclepias verticillata; Euphorbia corollata; Lespedeza capitata; Liatris aspera.
Mesic sand prairie: Lee County, Illinois (2006). Selected catalog plants recorded in this community: Andropogon gerardii; Antennaria neglecta; Antennaria plantaginifolia; Fragaria virginiana; Lespedeza capitata; Liatris pycnostachya.
The study site includes restoration plantings. Community records do not establish county-native origin or a seed-mix recipe.
Other regional plant communities
These plants are named with this species in published vegetation accounts. Each list keeps its community and region; some records describe a shared vegetation type rather than neighboring plants in a measured plot. They are ecological records, not a planting recipe, and may include plants unsuitable for a particular garden.
- Lake Michigan sand prairie (Illinois Beach State Park, Illinois): Calamovilfa longifolia.
- Cedar glades (Wisconsin): Juniperus virginiana.
- Grassland and shrub associates (Prairie region; account synthesis): Juniperus virginiana.
- Tallgrass prairie (Central Oklahoma): Liatris punctata.
Show / hide ▾Native range & C-value
State nativity describes a broad range. Use the Chicago-region assessment for local context; a state listing does not establish county nativity.
| Wetland indicator — Corps Chicago 2017 table | UPL |
|---|---|
| C-value — Chicago region, Flora 2017 | 3 |
| Chicago-region native — Flora 2017 | Yes |
| Native range — U.S. states | Alabama; Arkansas; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Nebraska; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Vermont; West Virginia; Wisconsin |
| County nativity | Not yet verified; occurrence records do not establish nativity. |
Show / hide ▾Pollinators & wildlife
Other insect & wildlife relationships
Caterpillars this plant can feed
Wavy-lined Emerald.
- Flower visits: Visitors include native bees, honeybees and butterflies.
- Seed: Songbirds eat the seeds.
Additional published species records; Illinois insect occurrence is not established by this account. These records do not guarantee that every insect occurs at your planting site.
Show / hide ▾Frequently asked questions
What are the ideal growing conditions for Old Field Goldenrod?
Light: Full sun. Soil moisture: Dry-mesic to dry.
How do I germinate and establish Old Field Goldenrod from seed?
USDA lists cold stratification as not required; seed-lot response may vary.
Is Old Field Goldenrod deer and herbivore resistant?
Deer occasionally browse the foliage. Even plants described as resistant may be browsed. Use physical protection where deer damage is a concern.
When should I expect Old Field Goldenrod to bloom?
Typical flowering period: Fall. Timing varies with location and weather.
Show / hide ▾Sources & ecological notes
Landscape companion selection: Natural Communities compared the growing requirements shown on these species pages with selected source records: Mesic black-soil prairie — Loda Cemetery Prairie — Central Illinois; Mid-successional dry sand prairie — Sporobolus — Northwestern Illinois — Mississippi River sand deposits. The shortlist is a planting-design inference. A shared record does not establish adjacency, identical soil requirements, local seed origin, or a tested planting combination. Regional synthesis records retain their documented focal-to-associate scope.
Illinois communities & local records: INHS: Loda, Prospect and Weston prairie records; INHS: Illinois sand-area plant communities; Ebinger et al.: Green River communities (2009).
Native range & ecological ratings: Flora of the Chicago Region (2017), via Universal FQA; USACE Chicago FQA (2017); Kew WCVP / Plants of the World Online.
Growing conditions & other references: Illinois Wildflowers, John Hilty; USDA Forest Service: Calamovilfa longifolia; USDA Forest Service: Juniperus virginiana; USDA Forest Service: Liatris punctata; USDA NRCS PLANTS; Patrick Goggin: Wisconsin native plant guide, p. 75; NC State Extension Plant Toolbox.
Native range does not identify the origin of the seed or plants offered. Community and wildlife records apply to the locations and conditions described.
Research notes & credits
USACE/ERDC fqadata — Chicago Region FQA 2017. Herman, B., Sliwinski, R. & Whitaker, S. (2017), Chicago Region FQA Calculator; distributed by USACE/ERDC in fqadata under CC0. Values may differ from Flora of the Chicago Region (2017). CC0 dedication.
Range data: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; 4 June 2026 release, accessed 7 September 2026. © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. CC BY 3.0; selected and reformatted. Kew cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of these data. This use has no Kew endorsement.
Source: Phillippe, L.R., Molano-Flores, B., Murphy, M.J.C., Marcum, P.B. & Ebinger, J.E. (2011), Status of Endangered and Threatened Sand Area Species of the Illinois Flora, Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 39(4):259–296. © 2011 University of Illinois Board of Trustees; CC BY 4.0. Selected community facts regrouped and described by Natural Communities. Historical source names retained; no current legal conservation status is asserted.
Flora rating attribution: Kenneth Johnson (2018), Flora of the Chicago Region UFQA Database, following Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Individual rating facts are presented with original commentary; the calculator’s software license is not treated as a license for the underlying Flora publication.
Survey communities: Ebinger et al. (2006), Tables 1–12, Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin. CC BY 4.0; adapted as dated presence lists, with the source’s non-native records excluded from the displayed native lists.
Growing guidance: Illinois Extension — Keeping deer out of the yard and garden. Selected facts in original wording. General deer advice is not a species resistance rating.
Plant Shipping & Care
Plant Shipping & Care
We want to ensure that our customers get what they want, a native backyard oasis. To do that, we need to follow a few simple guidelines and give you some information and pointers to make sure you get your plants delivered in a healthy state.
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Where We Ship
What to Expect When Receiving Your Delivery
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- We will need to cut back certain plants prior to shipping. This seems counter-intuitive, however, the fewer leaves the less water the plants can lose during shipping, resulting in healthier plants for you. This also enables the plants to fit within the protective packaging and shipped safely.
Shipments
- Larger plant shipments will look similar to the picture below with a tray of your plants and a cardboard box to protect them during shipping.
What to Do With Your Plants After Receiving Your Delivery
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- Some plants may not be in a container, put them into some kind of a container such as a paper cup with loose soil until installation
- Make sure each plant is receiving the appropriate amount of light.
- Continue to water daily each morning and possibly again in the afternoon
- No additional fertilizer is needed
Seed Shipping & Care
Seed Shipping & Care
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