Solidago multiradiata
Northern goldenrod
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Solidago multiradiata (Northern goldenrod) is a native California subshrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by high elevation, short stature, woody caudex, flat-topped inflorescence, large heads, long-ciliate leaves.
Northern goldenrod is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, northern Sierra Nevada, and White and Inyo Mountains in slopes and meadows at elevations of 1,250 to 3,950 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces yellow flowers in flat or round-topped clusters with 12 to 18 ray flowers 2 to 4 millimeters long. Growing with stems less than 50 centimeters tall emerging from a woody caudex, it has a relatively compact and upright form. Its leaves range from linear to spoon-shaped on the lower stem, becoming smaller and more linear toward the top, with edges often long-fringed with fine hairs. The plant produces small fruits 2 to 3 millimeters long, lightly covered with stiff, short hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; key features are high elevation, short stature, woody caudex, flat-topped inflorescence, large heads, long-ciliate leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Slopes, meadows
Elevation: 1250-3950 m
Outside California: to Alaska, arctic Canada, New Mexico
Bloom period
Solidago multiradiata blooms Jun-Sep.
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 multiradiata native to California?
Yes. Solidago multiradiata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Solidago multiradiata bloom?
Solidago multiradiata blooms Jun-Sep.
What plant family does Solidago multiradiata belong to?
Solidago multiradiata is in the Asteraceae family, genus Solidago.
What habitat does Solidago multiradiata grow in?
Solidago multiradiata grows in Slopes, meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.