white-goldenrod-solidago-bicolor.jpg
white-goldenrod-solidago-bicolor.jpg

White Goldenrod (Solidago bicolor)

from $3.50

White Goldenrod is an unusual goldenrod that has white flowers rather than the typical goldenrod-yellow. The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract a wide variety of insects, especially native bees. It is the host plant to 135 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org) as well as the host to an incredible 43 specialist bees (Holm, 2017) (Johnson and Colla, 2023). Like all goldenrods, it is enormously valuable for pollinators, providing many ecosystem services when most other plants are shutting down for the season.

Photo credit: Laura Flohr Reynolds

Size:

White Goldenrod is an unusual goldenrod that has white flowers rather than the typical goldenrod-yellow. The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract a wide variety of insects, especially native bees. It is the host plant to 135 species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org) as well as the host to an incredible 43 specialist bees (Holm, 2017) (Johnson and Colla, 2023). Like all goldenrods, it is enormously valuable for pollinators, providing many ecosystem services when most other plants are shutting down for the season.

Photo credit: Laura Flohr Reynolds

Life Cycle: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full-Partial

Soil Moisture: Medium – Dry

Height: 1-3 feet

Plant Spacing: 1-2 feet

Bloom Time: August-October

Bloom Color: White

Advantages: Caterpillar Favorite, Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer Resistant

Host Plant: 135 species of caterpillars and many moths use this as a host plant in our area (nwf.org)

Specialist Bee: Andrena aliciae, A. apacheorum, A. asteris, A. braccata, A. canadensis, A. Chromotricha, A. hirticincta, A. nubecula, A. placata, A. simplex, Perdita octomaculata, P. swenki, Pseudopanurgis aestivalis, P. andrenoides, P. compositarum, P. labrosiformis, P. solidaginis, Melissodes agilis, M. boltoniae, M. coloradensis, M. coreopsis, M. dentiventris, M. druriellus, M. fumosus, M. illatus, M. menuachus, M. microstictus, M. niveus, M. trinodis, M. wheeleri, Colletes americanus, C. compactus, C. rufocinctus, C. simulans, C. solidaginis, C. speculiferus, Dieunomia heteropoda, Dianthidium simile, Dufourea marginata, Megachile inimical, M. parallela, M. xylocopoides, and Ashmeadiella bucconis  (Holm, 2017) (Johnson and Colla, 2023)

Species of Concern: State Status: Endangered (legally protected), State Rank: Critically imperiled (mnfi.anr.msu.edu)

Complementary Plants: NewEngland aster, Stiff goldenrod, Little bluestem grass

Resource: Holm, Heather. Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide. Pollination Press LLC, 2017

Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023

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