Solidago velutina subsp. sparsiflora

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Velvet goldenrod is a California native perennial found in the Great Basin in woodland margins, grasslands, and disturbed soils at elevations of 500 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces yellow flowers in pyramid-shaped clusters with heads generally 3 to 6 millimeters wide. Growing with slender stems 30 to 80 centimeters tall, it has a sparsely short-hairy appearance and delicate branching. Its leaves are generally three-veined, with a characteristic lance-shaped form that helps distinguish this goldenrod from similar species. The plant's small ray flowers, typically 6 to 9 per head, create a distinctive one-sided cluster at the tip of its branches.

Habitat: Woodland margins, grassland, disturbed soils

Bloom period: Jul-Oct

Elevation: 500-2200 m

Bioregions: GB

California counties: San Bernardino, Plumas, Colusa, Modoc, Lassen, Inyo, Riverside, San Diego, Alpine

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.