Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Bluestem Goldenrod + - Solidago caesia   L.
Members of Asteraceae:
Members of Solidago with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Asterales » Family Asteraceae
AuthorL.
DistributionMountains and Piedmont; locally in the Coastal Plain in Piedmont-like habitats (such as slopes along brownwater rivers).

ME to Ont., south to northern FL and LA.
AbundanceFrequent to common in the Piedmont and the northwestern Coastal Plain. Fairly common in the Mountains, but generally uncommon and local in the Coastal Plain; rare to absent in the far eastern counties. This species should have a State Rank of S5 and not just S4S5.
HabitatMesic hardwood and pine-hardwood forests, rocky slopes, margins of bottomlands, banks and bluffs of brownwater rivers; locally in limestone soils of Jones County. Favors fairly rich soil in shaded situations, though mainly in uplands.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting August-October.
IdentificationBluestem Goldenrod is very distinctive in having flowering heads in small clusters in the axils of many of the stem leaves, and also terminally. Plants typically grow 2-3 feet tall and lean at an (often low) angle; leaves are narrowly lance-shape, not toothed. Stems are glaucescent and glabrous. Curtis's Goldenrod (S. curtisii) is similar, but its stems are erect and not glaucescent, and the leaves are broader; it is essentially limited to the mountains. This is a familiar goldenrod of our rich to mesic forested slopes, quite distinctive in its flowers clustered in leaf axils.
Taxonomic CommentsA second variety occurs to the south of NC.

Other Common Name(s)Bridal-wreath Goldenrod, Wreath Goldenrod, Axillary Goldenrod
State RankS4S5 [S5]
Global RankG5
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US Status
USACE-agcpFACU link
USACE-empFACU link
County Map - click on a county to view source of record.
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B.A. SorrieMoore County, 2015, Killet's Creek bank N of Bethlehem Church Road. MoorePhoto_natural
B.A. SorrieMoore County, 2020, Cabin Creek at Leach Road, rocky slope. MoorePhoto_natural
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