Solidago ‘Solar Cascade’ is a short, tidy goldenrod with a mission behind it. It is a selection of Solidago shortii released by the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens’ Endangered Plant Program. The species has a very limited range, with only a few small populations in Indiana and Kentucky, and is federally listed as endangered. By introducing ‘Solar Cascade’, the program hopes to keep Solidago shortii from disappearing completely. ‘Solar Cascade’ is a clumper with short rhizomes, so it doesn’t spread aggressively like some goldenrods. The deep green, glossy foliage stays clean throughout the growing season, and the flowers are signature goldenrod—golden-yellow clusters that attract myriad pollinators. Size-wise, it tops out around 3’, which is between the taller ‘Fireworks’ and shorter ‘Golden Fleece’.
Does best in moist, well-drained, rocky or sandy soils in full or part sun but will tolerate average soils, some clay, and drier conditions.
Space plants 18"-24" on center.
'Solar Cascade' will spread slowly via short rhizomes to form a clump 2' in width. It is self-infertile and requires a pollinator for it to set seed.
Although often blamed for inflaming seasonal allergies, goldenrod pollen is spread via pollinators and is too large and sticky to be wind borne. The real culprits are lightweight pollen-bearers like ragweed, which rely on the wind to spread their pollen and bloom around the same time as goldenrod. People who are allergic to ragweed can be sensitive to goldenrod, but it would take direct contact with the plant to spark a reaction.
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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.