Goldenrod, Showy
Solidago speciosa, also known as Showy Goldenrod, is a perennial wildflower native to Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Popular because it is... showy. :) Bees and other pollinators looking for late season nectar absolutely love it. Many of the bees that use this plant are male bees looking for fuel to help them find mates before frost, or newly hatched queen bees storing up reserves in preparation for hibernating through the winter.
Showy Goldenrod reaches 3 feet tall and flowers from August to October with a dramatic yellow plume of flowers that is particularly striking as the surrounding vegetation fades in fall. In addition to being one of the most dramatic plants you can have in your garden, it is the host plant for a large number of moths and other insects. The seeds are eaten by Goldfinches.
In fact, this plant is considered a Keystone Native Plant according to the National Wildlife Federation Keystone Native Plants list for our ecoregion. Plants in this family are used by 120 species of caterpillar as a host plant. Since most birds feed their young almost exclusively on caterpillars during nesting season, utilizing this plant in your landscape also supports birds. This plant family also supports 22 species of pollen specialist bees, making it a great choice for pollinator support.
It prefers full sun to partial shade, dry soil and will grow in loam or sand. Michigan Flora indicates that its natural habitat is "dry open sandy ground, including oak and jack pine savannas, prairies, fields, rarely dunes, and associated roadsides and railroads; and thin soil on high rock mountains in the western Upper Peninsula." Anything with a liking for jack pines and thin soils is a great addition to our lineup!
Like all goldenrods, it is not wind pollinated and does not cause seasonal allergies.