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Home/Species/ Downy Goldenrod

Solidago puberula

Nutt.

Downy Goldenrod

G5Secure Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.149373
Element CodePDAST8P1G0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusSolidago
Other Common Names
downy goldenrod (EN) Verge d'or pubérulente (FR)
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 Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-01-22
Change Date1984-09-06
Edition Date2025-01-22
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Solidago puberula is a wide-ranging perennial herb in a variety of open habitats occurring in eastern North America from Nova Scotia west to Ontario, Canada south through New England west to Ohio and Kentucky south to Florida and Alabama in the United States. There are over 700 occurrences that are potentially threatened by development, conversion to agriculture or silviculture, rights-of-way maintenance activities, logging, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Solidago puberula occurs in eastern North America from Nova Scotia west to Ontario, Canada south through New England west to Ohio and Kentucky south to Florida and Alabama in the United States (FNA 2006, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be approximately 2.3 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 700 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, conversion to agriculture or silviculture, rights-of-way maintenance activities, logging, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Solidago puberula grows in sandy and rocky soils, edges of deciduous and pine woods, pine flatwoods, pine savannas, clearings, sandy and rocky margins of ponds and streams, bogs, wet meadows, wet pastures, balds, roadsides (FNA 2006, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest EdgeWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedSavannaGrassland/herbaceous
Palustrine Habitats
Bog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MaineSNRYes
MarylandS5Yes
New YorkSNRYes
KentuckyS2Yes
South CarolinaSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
FloridaSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
DelawareSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
OhioS1Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
New JerseySNRYes
North CarolinaSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
VermontS4Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS4Yes
OntarioS2Yes
Prince Edward IslandS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
New BrunswickS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (4)
North Carolina (4)
AreaForestAcres
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Middle Prong AdditionPisgah National Forest1,852
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
References (7)
  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. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  3. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  4. 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.
  5. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  6. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  7. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.