Flat-topped clusters of cheerful yellow blooms brighten the fall garden from August-October, providing late season nourishment for native bees and honeybees as they prepare for over-wintering, and monarchs, as they prepare for migration. A clump-forming perennial, Riddell’s goldenrod is ideal for rain gardens, pond or lake margins and other wet areas. Can be found growing wild in wet prairies, fens, low ground along rivers and lakes, and in wetlands. Unlike some goldenrods, Riddell’s is usually free from powdery mildew.  
 
Plant Characteristics:
Grows 2-4’ tall with a spread of 18-24".
 
Prefers full sun, but still flowers in partial sun.
 
Best sited in fairly moist or wet soil. In drier soil, will benefit from watering during dry spells.
 
Leaves are narrow, lance shaped and around 8” long, longer near the bottom and shorter near the top of the stem.  Stems are smooth and green to reddish brown.
 
Wildlife Value: 
Goldenrods are a host plant for 122 species of Lepidoptera in Ohio, making them the most ecologically valuable perennial in our state. Caterpillars that feed on goldenrods include the asteroid and green leuconcycta moths pictured here.  Many adult and insect larvae feed on goldenrods, and they also provide nectar and pollen for honey bees and a multitude of native bees, including long- and short-tongued bees, bumble bees, carpenter bees, Halictid bees, and andrenid bees.  Wasps, flies, and beetles also visit, and finches, indigo buntings, juncos, and sparrows feed on the seeds.  Muskrats and beavers eat or use the stems; deer, rabbit and meadow voles eat the foliage.
 
Medicinal and Edible Uses:
Goldenrod is used to reduce pain and swelling (inflammation), as a diuretic to increase urine flow, and to stop muscle spasms. It is also used for gout, joint pain (rheumatism), arthritis, as well as eczema and other skin conditions. Like other goldenrods, the leaves and flowers were used by Native Americans for various ailments, including digestive disturbances.