Fireworks Goldenrod

Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks'

flower

Fireworks (Solidago rugosa) is the goldenrod that converted a generation of gardeners - instead of a stiff cone, it sends out arching, horizontal sprays of tiny golden flowers that really do look like a fireworks burst, on well-behaved 3 to 4 ft clumps that spread slowly rather than running. It blooms in fall and is a native keystone plant: goldenrods support an enormous number of pollinators and caterpillars and are one of the most important late-season nectar and pollen sources in North America. And to clear up the old myth, goldenrod does not cause hay fever - its heavy, sticky pollen is carried by insects, not wind; ragweed is the real culprit.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• New England Aster — The iconic native purple-and-gold fall pairing, feeding the same late pollinators together
• Joe Pye Weed — Tall native that flowers into the goldenrod season for butterflies
• Autumn Joy Sedum — Another late nectar plant that rounds out the fall pollinator buffet
• Purple Coneflower — Summer bloomer whose seed heads stand alongside the fall goldenrod for birds

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Rust →

  Give full sun and airflow and remove rust-affected foliage; rarely serious on a vigorous native

• Powdery mildew →

  Space plants for air circulation and water at the base in humid weather

• Generally pest-free

  Goldenrod is a tough native with no significant pest problems - its main historic problem is an undeserved hay-fever reputation

🌸 Blooms & cutting

Fireworks is a wonderful cut flower, its arching golden sprays adding movement to fall bouquets - cut when the sprays are well in color, in the cool morning. In the garden, the best practice for wildlife is to leave the spent stems standing over winter: the hollow stems shelter overwintering native bees and the seed feeds birds. Cut back to 12 to 24 in. in spring so the old stems keep providing nesting habitat.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Goldenrod is a native keystone pollinator plant - few perennials feed more wildlife. Its fall flowers are a critical late-season nectar and pollen source for honeybees, native bees, wasps, butterflies, and beetles building winter reserves, and the genus hosts well over a hundred species of butterfly and moth caterpillars (essential bird food). The hollow winter stems also provide nesting sites for native bees.