ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Solidago speciosa
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    ASTERALES
 FAMILY:   ASTERACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Solidago speciosa
 AUTHORITY:  Nutt.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    SHOWY GOLDENROD
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: SOSP2
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       UPLAND FOREST
         DRY
         DRY-MESIC
       THICKETS
     PRAIRIE
       TYPICAL PRAIRIE
         DRY
       SAND PRAIRIE
         DRY-MESIC
       LISTED
         CHARACTERISTIC
     SAVANNA
     CULTURAL
       AGRICULTURAL FIELD
       SUCCESSIONAL FIELD
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     CENTRAL
        Upland oak
           White/Black/Northern Red-  Oak
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           BOONE           BROWN           CALHOUN         CARROLL
   CASS            CHAMPAIGN       CHRISTIAN       CLAY            COLES
   COOK            CRAWFORD        DEKALB          DUPAGE          EFFINGHAM
   FAYETTE         FULTON          GREENE          GRUNDY          HANCOCK
   HENDERSON       IROQUOIS        JACKSON         JERSEY          JO DAVIESS
   KANE            KANKAKEE        KENDALL         KNOX            LAKE
   LASALLE         LAWRENCE        LEE             LIVINGSTON      LOGAN
   MCHENRY         MCLEAN          MACON           MACOUPIN        MADISON
   MARION          MARSHALL        MASON           MENARD          MERCER
   MONROE          MORGAN          OGLE            PEORIA          PERRY
   PIATT           PIKE            POPE            RANDOLPH        RICHLAND
   ROCK ISLAND     ST. CLAIR       SANGAMON        SCHUYLER        STEPHENSON
   TAZEWELL        UNION           VERMILION       WABASH          WHITESIDE
   WILL            WINNEBAGO       WOODFORD
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-herb
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Adventitious   (fibrous)
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:     Linear   Oblong   Lanceolate   Oblanceolate
    INFLORESCENCE:   Head
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete   Regular   Irregular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Yellow
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Epigynous
    FRUIT:   Achene
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Handsome when in flower, long spires of yellow flowers and pale green foliage.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Native
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Common
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      8         MONTH END-     10
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     SEX:      Perfect     Unisexual   -monoecious
 
 BIOLOGIC COMMENTS:
     Disk florets perfect and fertile, ray florets pistillate and fertile.  Stout,
     woody caudex present.
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Found in sandy black oak woods, and rocky or open woods.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     GROWTH OF SPECIES IN VARIOUS CONDITIONS:
          GRAVEL         No data entered    SAND           Good
          SANDY LOAM     No data entered    LOAM           No data entered
          CLAY LOAM      No data entered    CLAY           No data entered
          DENSE CLAY     No data entered    ORGANIC SOIL   No data entered
          NEUTRAL pH     No data entered    ACIDIC SOIL    Good
          EXTREMELY ACID No data entered    SALINE SOIL    No data entered
          SODIC SOIL     No data entered    SODIC-SALINE   No data entered
          ROCKY OUTCROPS No data entered    GENTLE SLOPES  No data entered
          MODERATE SLOPE No data entered    STEEP SLOPES   No data entered
     HABITAT:   Moist   Dry
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     MAJOR POLLINATION AGENT:   INSECT
 
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     SHOWY FLOWERS:  YES      AMOUNT:  High
 
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     A desirable addition to sunny wildflower bed.  A nice ornamental.  Provides
     generous pollen yields.
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:
     FOOD VALUE:
         DEER VALUE:    Yes    -   Flowers   Leaves   Stems   Buds
         UPLAND GAME VALUE:    Yes    -   Leaves
         WATERFOWL VALUE:  Unknown
         SMALL NON-GAME BIRD VALUE:    Yes    -   Fruit
         SMALL MAMMAL VALUE:    Yes    -   Fruit   Leaves
         AQUATIC MAMMAL VALUE:    Yes    -   Flowers   Leaves   Stems   Buds
         FISH VALUE:  Unknown
     COVER VALUE:  No data entered
 
     WILDLIFE COMMENTS:
         Food for terrestrial furbearers and aquatic furbearers.
 
 
 LIVESTOCK PALATABILITY DATA:  No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK COMMENTS:
     Ingestion of plant infected with Coleosporium ssp. fungi is suspected of
     causing sickness and death in cattle and horses.  There may also be a
     hemolytic component in this species, as well as in other Solidago species.
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     ESTABLISHMENT REQUIREMENTS:  Easy
     SHORT-TERM REVEGETATION POTENTIAL:  Good
 
     SEED AVAILABILITY:   Good
 
 
 PROCUREMENT COMMENTS:
     5,6.
 
 PROPAGATION COMMENTS:
         Form-seeds.
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1975.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.  494 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
Anon.  1981.  Illinois plants for habitat restoration.  Illinois Department of
     Conservation, Mining Program.  Springfield, Illinois.  61 pp.
White, J., and M. H. Madany.  1978.  Classification of natural communities in
     Illinois.  Pages 309-405 in J. White, ed., Illinois natural areas
     inventory technical report.  Vol. 1.  Survey methods and results.
     Illinois Natural Areas Inventory, Urbana.
Fernald, M. L., A. C. Kinsey, and R. C. Rollins.  1958.  Edible wild plants of
     eastern North America.  Harper and Brothers, New York.  452 pp.
Wodehouse, R. P.  1971.  Hayfever plants.  Hafner Publishing Company, New
     York.  280 pp.
 
 OTHER REFERENCES:
     Pammel, L.H.  1911.  A Manual of Poisonous Plants.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Solidago speciosa
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015