Goldenrod

goldenrod, (genus Solidago), genus of about 150 species of weedy, usually perennial herbs of the aster family (Asteraceae). Most of them are native to North America, though a few species grow in Europe and Asia. The goldenrods are characteristic plants in eastern North America, where about 60 species occur. They are found in almost every habitat type—in woodlands, in swamps, on mountains, in fields, and along roadsides—and form one of the chief floral glories of autumn from the Great Plains eastward to the Atlantic.