Tall Goldenrod vs Sweet Goldenrod
This guide is under construction and has not been published yet. It may have errors. When in doubt, double-check other sources for definitive ID.These two goldenrods are sometimes confused; both tend to grow in dry habitats. They are usually easy to tell apart by close examination of the leaves, and they have numerous other differences. S. altissima ranges farther north and much farther west, and prefers richer, finer-textured soils and ranges onto higher-pH soils. S. odora is more restricted to the southeast and is strictly limited to acidic, nutrient-poor soils, and is more shade-tolerant.
Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima) | Sweet Goldenrod (Solidago odora) |
A common, aggressive perennial of rich, sunny, disturbed sites, native to a wide range across North America. | A clumping perennial of nutrient-poor, acidic soils, with distinctive anise-scented leaves. |
 Leaves lower down on the stem have a triple-veined look, with two prominent side-veins running most of the length of the leaf, parallel to the central vein. Photo © Sandy Wolkenberg, CC BY 4.0. |  Leaves lack a triple-veined look. Usually only the central vein is prominent and the rest of the leaf is indistinct. Photo © Carrie Seltzer, CC BY 4.0. |
 Stem is densely covered in short hairs, even lower down on the plant. Photo © Skyler Principe, CC BY 4.0. |  Stem is much less hairy on average. Lower portions of the stem may be nearly hairless, except for a small amount of hair in lines near each leaf. Stems sometimes become slightly more hairy in the inflorescence. Photo © Becky Dill, Public Domain. |
 Flowerheads have more florets: usually 8–13 ray florets, rarely 5–17, usually 3–6 disc florets, rarely 2–9. Photo © Daniel McClosky, CC BY 4.0. |  Flowerheads have fewer florets: usually 3-4 ray florets, rarely 5-6, and usually 3-5 disc florets. Photo © Sandra Keller, CC BY 4.0. |
 Plants are rhizomatous, forming large colonies of up to 40 stems, occasionally more. Photo © botany08, CC BY 4.0. |  Plants are not rhizomatous, instead growing in clumps with up to 5 stems, occasionally more, originating from a central point. Photo © Becky Dill, Public Domain. |
 Upper leaf surfaces are rough to the touch. Photo © Becky Dill, Public Domain. | Upper leaf surfaces are smooth. |
Additional Notes
Although these two species are usually easy to tell apart by only looking at one or two characteristics, we recommend closely examining all of these characteristics because greater familiarity with each species will help to distinguish each species from others.References & External Resources
These short lists show only links helpful for ID. For a complete list of references and resources also covering other aspects of ecology, visit the links section of the full article on each plant, which is the first entry here.
