Solidago flexicaulis is a compact, woodland native that provides pollinator power for shade. Its arching stems emerge from mostly evergreen basal foliage, and clusters of small, yellow flowers appear in the upper leaf axils and end of the stems in late summer into fall. The stems are usually slightly zig-zagged rather than straight; thus the common name of zigzag goldenrod. Those bendy stems and the toothed, ovate leaves distinguish it from other goldenrods. Zigzag goldenrod grows naturally in shaded woods and thickets from Nova Scotia to North Dakota south to Georgia and Arkansas. The semi-evergreen basal leaves make it a good plant for reducing erosion and providing ground cover, especially in woodland settings or on sites with variable sun and shade throughout the day.
Solidago flexicaulis is easy to grow in well-drained, average to moist soils. It does best in dappled shade—that's why we list it as part-sun to part-shade—but can tolerate both full sun and full shade. It tolerates occasional dry conditions but appreciates consistent moisture. When in optimal conditions, zigzag goldenrod will spread gently via rhizomes.
Space plants 12"-18" on center.
When in optimal conditions, Solidago flexicaulis will spread to about 3' in width. The wider on-center measurement will give space for plants to fill in when growth will be more vigorous.
For companions, try the spring blooms of Chrysogonum virginianum (green and gold), Zizia aurea (golden zizia), Tiarella cordifolia (heartleaf foamflower), Packera aurea (golden ragwort), and Polemonium reptans (Jacob's ladder). Groundcover favorites like Heuchera americana (American alumroot) and Sedum ternatum (woodland stonecrop) add to the flower mix, and pollinator powerhouses Pycnanthemum muticum (clustered mountainmint) and Pycnanthemum virginianum (Virginia mountainmint) pair nicely as well. Complement zigzag goldenrod's late-season blooms with Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot) and Symphyotrichum cordifolium (common blue wood aster). Finally, make sure to include graminoid companions like Chasmanthium laxum (slender woodoats), Carex cherokeensis (Cherokee sedge), Carex socialis (low woodland sedge), and Carex radiata (eastern star sedge).
In autumn, when many plants are heading toward dormancy, Solidago flexicaulis is an important nectar and pollen source for honeybees, long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, and butterflies. Its seeds are eaten by swamp sparrow, pine siskin, woodland songbirds, and meadow mouse. The specific epithet flexicaulis references the flexible (zigzag) stem.
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Recorded County Distribution: USDA data.
AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, LA |
Threatened | RI |
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain | FACU |
Eastern Mountains and Piedmont | FACU |
Great Plains | FACU |
Midwest | FACU |
Northcentral and Northeast | FACU |
MAP OF WETLAND DELINEATION REGIONS
Code |
Status |
Designation |
Comment |
OBL |
Obligate Wetland |
Hydrophyte |
Almost always occur in wetlands |
FACW |
Facultative Wetland |
Hydrophyte |
Usually occur in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands |
FAC |
Facultative |
Hydrophyte |
Occur in wetlands and non-wetlands |
FACU |
Facultative Upland |
Nonhydrophyte |
Usually occur in non-wetlands, but may occur in wetlands |
UPL |
Obligate Upland |
Nonhydrophyte |
Almost never occur in wetlands |
Kingdom | Plantae | Plants |
Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants |
Superdivision | Spermatophyta | Seed plants |
Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants |
Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons |
Subclass | Asteridae | |
Order | Asterales | |
Family | Asteraceae | Aster family |
Genus | Solidago | goldenrod |
Species | Solidago flexicaulis | zigzag goldenrod |
broad leaf goldenrod, broadleaved goldenrod
Solidago latifolia
Sizes info
Shipping is free on all plants orders!
Your plants will ship using each grower’s preferred method: FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, or Spee-Dee Ground (in select midwestern states). Our growers ship orders Monday through Wednesday. The farther your plants need to travel, the earlier in the week they will ship. The goal is to have all plants delivered by the end of the week.
Shipping plugs:
Plugs are shipped in full flats, sometimes also referred to as trays. Multiple flats can be shipped in a single box. The flats are wrapped in netting or craft paper to secure the plants, and spacers are used between flats to keep the plants from being crushed.
When you unpack your plugs, the plants will have been somewhat flattened by the netting or craft paper. They will straighten out within a couple of days. You may also gently “fluff” them a bit to speed up the process. In some cases, your plants might have been cut back before packing, if the grower deemed them to have become too tall for safe packaging. Don’t worry, though, these guys know what they’re doing and would not compromise the health of the plants. They’ll fill back in in no time.
After receiving your plants’ journey in a dark box, it will be important to acclimate them to sunlight again. Over a couple of days, you should gradually move them into their preferred light exposure, and water them as per their requirement.
Although we always recommend putting your plants in the ground as soon as possible, they can stay healthy in the flats for a considerable amount of time. The key is to respect their growing requirements: if the species requires full sun, do not store them in the shade. If it is best adapted to dry soil, do not over-water.
Planting plugs:
We consider plugs ready to ship when the plants’ roots have filled the entire liner cell and the plants can easily be pulled out. In some cases you will have to go about it gently, wiggling the plant by the crown, and possibly squeezing the bottom of the liner to compress the growing medium and release the roots. Other times, the plants will appear to be root bound. They are not in the traditional sense. The plants are healthy but they have used up all the growing medium available to them. Plugs are at an aggressive stage of growth. As soon as planted the roots will immediately expand into your native soil. They establish faster than plants in larger containers, because they don’t have the luxury of a lot of growing media that can inhibit the roots from venturing outside of their comfort zone.
We are not going to address area preparation because the process can be complex and is always site-specific. However, as a rule, we recommend disturbing the soil as little as possible, and we do not recommend amending the soil. If you chose the right plant for the right conditions they will thrive. Any disturbance and amendments will only encourage weeds to emerge that never had a chance to do so before.
Installing plugs cannot be easier: dig a hole large enough for the roots to fit snugly inside, then water them in to eliminate air gaps. We recommend using a soil knife, sometimes referred to as hori hori, or a drill-adapted auger if it’s a large installation. If you use an auger, you will need a powerful drill. Depending on the size of the project and the type of soil, the process can be beyond what an average drill will bear. Mulching is recommended after installation to help keep weeds down while the plants establish. Be sure to keep it away from the crown of the plants. For large projects, you may want to mulch the area before planting, rather than tiptoeing through it after the fact. As a side note: if you are installing plugs in the fall, you might want to plant them so that the crown is about ¾” lower than the surrounding soil. The winter’s freeze/thaw cycles can push plugs out if the roots did not have enough time to establish and anchor them in.