Solidago confinis
Southern goldenrod
(c) Jerry Kirkhart, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Solidago confinis (Southern goldenrod) is a native California perennial in the Asteraceae family, recognized by wet habitat, glabrous habit, fleshy leaves with sheathing bases, club-shaped inflorescence.
Southern goldenrod is a California native perennial found in the Tehachapi, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay, South Coast Ranges, southwestern California, White and Inyo Mountains, and Desert Mountains in wet streambanks, springs, and marshes at elevations generally below 2,500 meters. Flowering from April to October, this plant produces golden-yellow flowers in small heads 2.5 to 4 millimeters long arranged in club-shaped panicles with 3 to 13 ray flowers. Growing with stout stems up to 2.1 meters tall emerging from a short, branched caudex, it appears nearly smooth or glabrous. Its lower leaves are largest, 5 to 25 centimeters long, somewhat fleshy, with bases nearly sheathing the stem, and becoming smaller and scale-like toward the stem tip. The fruit is small, 1 to 1.5 millimeters long, and slightly strigose.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; key features are wet habitat, glabrous habit, fleshy leaves with sheathing bases, club-shaped inflorescence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet streambanks, springs, marshes
Elevation: generally < 2500 m
Bloom period
Solidago confinis blooms Apr-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Euthamia: Solidago flowers cluster one-sided on branches; Euthamia flowers form flat-topped clusters.; vs Isocoma: Solidago has small yellow ray petals; Isocoma completely lacks ray petals (disk flowers only).; vs Senecio: Solidago heads in one-sided clusters; Senecio heads in flat or rounded clusters, never one-sided.; vs Eriophyllum: Solidago foliage is green and smooth; Eriophyllum foliage is densely white-woolly.; vs Artemisia: Solidago has showy yellow ray petals; Artemisia has tiny inconspicuous rayless heads.
Frequently asked questions
Is Solidago confinis native to California?
Yes. Solidago confinis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Solidago confinis bloom?
Solidago confinis blooms Apr-Oct.
What plant family does Solidago confinis belong to?
Solidago confinis is in the Asteraceae family, genus Solidago.
What habitat does Solidago confinis grow in?
Solidago confinis grows in Wet streambanks, springs, marshes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.