Solidago bicolor (Silverrod)

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Solidago bicolor L.

Silverrod

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Asterales	Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family	Asteraceae	The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus	Solidago	From Latin solido, “to make whole or heal,” because it was believed these species had healing properties
Species	bicolor	“Two-colored”

About plant names...

Silverrod is a North American native. For a comparison chart of some of the varieties of goldenrods, see Solidago.

Identification: The most important identifying feature of this goldenrod is that it isn't golden: it is silver (well, okay, cream-colored). This is the only white-flowering Solidago. (Just to confuse matters, occasionally, they may appear more yellow in color.) Each flower is less than ¼" (6.3 mm) across, with whitish rays as well as a tiny yellow disk. Flowers appear August through October. Flowers are evenly spaced around each stem, not just on one side. Plants are up to 3' (1 m) high, and are found in fields, or in forests open enough to admit a fair amount of light. Stems are "hispido-villous"—fancy talk for "having [relatively] long and soft hairs." Plant tops may branch into several clusters of vaguely conical flowerheads—flowers are in clusters along each branch. Lower leaves are 2-4" (5-10 cm) long, with shallow teeth and a grayish down. Upper leaves are elliptical in shape, with a single prominent central vein.

Edibility: Poisonous Skull & Crossbones Leaves and berries contain solanine, a poisonous alkaloid.

Online References:

Ontario Wildflowers

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Plants.ces.ncsu.edu

EFloras

The University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

References:

Newcomb, Lawrence, Morrison, Gordon (Illus.), Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, Little, Brown and Company, 1977, p. 382

Peterson, Roger Tory, McKenny, Margaret, Peterson Field Guides: Wildflowers—Northeastern and North Central North America, Houghton Mifflin, 1968, p. 58

Thierer, John W., Niering, William A, Olmstead, Nancy C., National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region, Alfred A. Knopf, 2001, p. 109, 414

Brandenburg, David M., National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Wildflowers of North America, Andrew Stuart Publishing, Inc., 2010, p. 136

9/7/2020 · Calderwood Trails, Freeport, Maine
≈ 4½ × 7" (12 × 18 cm)

9/17/2016 · Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor, Maine

9/9/2010 · Pine Meadow Conservation Trust Land, Groton Harvard Road, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 6" (13 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain

I don’t usually see them this big, but it is pretty common to see them tipped sideways like this. · 9/17/2013 · Andres Institute of Art, Big Bear Mountain, Brookline, New Hampshire
≈ 12 × 8" (31 × 21 cm)

9/17/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 11 × 7" (27 × 18 cm)

9/13/2020 · Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson, Maine
≈ 10 × 15" (26 × 39 cm)

9/17/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 6" (18 × 15 cm)

8/16/2012 · Mt. Tom State Reservation, Dynamite Trail, Holyoke, Massachusetts
≈ 4 × 4½" (10 × 11 cm)

8/28/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 4½ × 7" (11 × 17 cm)

9/7/2021 · Tarbox Preserve, Topsham, Maine
≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 20 cm)

Solidago bicolor description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 5 Sep 2023.

9/9/2010 · Pine Meadow Conservation Trust Land, Groton Harvard Road, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 9 × 14" (23 × 35 cm) ID is uncertain

9/17/2012 · Blood Dragon Ravine, Jeff Smith Trail, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 3½ × 5" (9.2 × 13 cm)

9/24/2010 · Nissitissit River Wildlife Management Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 4½ × 3" (11 × 7.9 cm)

9/9/2010 · Pine Meadow Conservation Trust Land, Groton Harvard Road, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 10" (17 × 25 cm) ID is uncertain

9/17/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 11 × 7" (27 × 18 cm)

9/24/2010 · Nissitissit River Wildlife Management Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (16 × 10 cm)

9/17/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 5" (15 × 13 cm)

9/7/2020 · Calderwood Trails, Freeport, Maine
≈ 4 × 6" (11 × 16 cm)

9/4/2013 · Amos Kendall Conservation Area, Dunstable, Massachusetts
≈ 8 × 5" (19 × 12 cm)

9/16/2016 · Sieur de Monts Botanical Gardens, Bar Harbor, Maine

8/16/2012 · Mt. Tom State Reservation, Dynamite Trail, Holyoke, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 19 cm)

9/17/2012 · Blood Dragon Ravine, Jeff Smith Trail, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

9/9/2010 · Pine Meadow Conservation Trust Land, Groton Harvard Road, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 11" (18 × 27 cm) ID is uncertain

9/4/2013 · Amos Kendall Conservation Area, Dunstable, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4½" (15 × 12 cm)

Range:

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