Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Blue Ridge Goldenrod

Solidago spithamaea

M.A. Curtis

Blue Ridge Goldenrod

G2Imperiled Found in 11 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G2ImperiledGlobal Rank
High - mediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.159226
Element CodePDAST8P200
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusSolidago
Other Common Names
Blue Ridge goldenrod (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2013-05-08
Change Date2013-05-08
Edition Date2012-10-15
Edition AuthorsMaybury, K. & M. Pyne (1996), rev. A. Tomaino (2009), revised by Gadd & Buchanan (2012).
Threat ImpactHigh - medium
Range Extent<100-250 square km (less than about 40-100 square miles)
Number of Occurrences1 - 5
Rank Reasons
Confined to small areas on a few very high, rocky summits in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee. There are 5 populations currently known to exist in NC. 4 of those populations are protected. Another 3 historical populations were extirpated by extensive recreational and residential development. However, the largest population currently known is thriving despite heavy recreational use of the site.
Range Extent Comments
Endemic to three mountains, Grandfather Mountain and Hanging Rock Mountain in North Carolina, and Roan Mountain on the North Carolina-Tennessee border (Weakley 2008).
Occurrences Comments
Five populations know in North Carolina.
Threat Impact Comments
Threatened by trampling, development, and woody vegetation sucession (USFWS 2009). Trampling of habitat by sightseers and climbers poses a serious threat (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002). Recreational over-use may increase erosion (NCHP 2001). Climate change is also a major concern for this species which is restricted to high elevations with extensive snow and ice formation (USFWS 2009).
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

This is 1 of only a few southern goldenrods having close affinities with plants now abundant in more northern areas. Populations are thought to be relict in nature, persisting on mountain-tops as the regional climate became warmer and drier.

Habitat

Rocky places such as outcrops, ledges, cliffs, and balds at elevations above 1400 m. Sites occupied by the species are generally exposed to full sun. Common associates include grasses and sedges, as well as other rare, high-elevation species such as Heller's blazing star (Liatris helleri), Roan Mountain bluet (Houstonia montana) and spreading avens (Geum radiatum) (NCHP 2001).
Terrestrial Habitats
BarrensBare rock/talus/screeCliff
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
North CarolinaS2Yes
TennesseeS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentLarge (31-70%)Serious - moderateUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceLarge (31-70%)Serious - moderateUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesLarge (31-70%)Serious - moderateUnknown
11 - Climate change & severe weatherLarge (31-70%)Serious - moderateHigh - low
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationLarge (31-70%)Serious - moderateHigh - low

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (11)
North Carolina (11)
AreaForestAcres
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Middle Prong AdditionPisgah National Forest1,852
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
References (15)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 20. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 7: Asteraceae, part 2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 666 pp.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  3. Kral, R. 1983a. A report on some rare, threatened or endangered forest related vascular plants of the south. USFS technical publication R8-TP2, Atlanta, GA. Vol. 1: 718 pp.
  4. Kral, R. 1983c. A report on some rare, threatened, or endangered forest-related vascular plants of the South. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service Technical Publication R8-TP2, Athens, GA. 1305 pp.
  5. Murdock, N., and R.D. Sutter. 1987. Blue Ridge goldenrod recovery plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Region, Atlanta, GA.
  6. North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. 2001. Guide to federally listed endangered and threatened species of North Carolina. North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Raleigh, NC. 134 pp. [http://www.ncnhp.org/Pages/guide.htm]
  7. Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Univ. North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC. 1183 pp.
  8. Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
  9. Sutter, R.D., V. Frantz, and K.A. McCarthy. 1988. Atlas of rare and endangered plant species in North Carolina. North Carolina Dept. Agriculture, Plant Protection Section, Conservation Program, Raleigh, North Carolina. 174 pp.
  10. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1985. Determination of threatened status for <i>Solidago spithamaea</i> (Blue Ridge goldenrod). Federal Register 50(60): 12306-12309.
  11. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2009. Draft five-year review for Blue Ridge Goldenrod (<i>Solidago spithamaea</i>). Asheville Field Office, Asheville, NC.
  12. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2023. Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 67 Southeastern Species. Notice of initiation of reviews; <br/>request for information. Federal Register 88(91): 30324-30328.
  13. Weakley, A.S. 1996. Flora of the Carolinas and Virginia: working draft of 23 May 1996. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Southern Conservation Science Dept., Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Unpaginated.
  14. Weakley, A. S. 2008. Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, northern Florida, and surrounding areas. Working Draft of 7 April 2008. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Online. Available: http://herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm (Accessed 2008).
  15. Wiser, S. K., R. K. Peet, and P. S. White. 1998. Prediction of rare-plant occurrence: A southern Appalachian example. Ecological Applications 8: 909-920.