Solidago Spatgold

Solidago 'Spätgold', also known as Goldenrod or Golden Bouquet, is a particularly floriferous compact, non-invasive hybrid variety, suitable for all gardens. It produces fully golden-yellow pyramidal spikes in summer, with flowers and peduncles of the same tone, slightly arched, emerging from a very dense medium green foliage. A superb perennial, hardy, easy to grow in the sun, in ordinary sandy soil.

The Solidago Spatgold, also known as goldenrod, is a horticultural hybrid. This woody-based perennial belongs to the Asteraceae family and is a cousin of daisies and asters. The 'Spatgold' variety is distinguished mainly by a more compact bushy habit than the wild species from which it originates and its abundant flowering in short panicles. Unlike the wild species, it does not spread through suckers. This plant does not exceed 70 cm (28in) high when flowering, with a width of 50 cm (20in), and forms a dense, flexible clump of leafy stems. Flowering takes place from August to September, depending on the climate, with golden-yellow inflorescences. These are light panicles of tiny little daisy-like heads carried by yellow petioles in branched and feathery spikes. They appear at the end of sturdy stems, bearing opposite, elongated, rough, light green leaves with slightly toothed edges. This goldenrod disappears in late autumn and reappears in spring.

These perennial plants are loved for their late flowering and modern varieties of goldenrods have successfully replaced the old invasive and uninteresting ones. They are robust plants that only dislike excessive heat and drought, which can promote powdery mildew. Solidago 'Splatgold' can be planted alone or in groups of three, close to blue asters (Aster laevis Calliope) or mauve asters (Aster turbinellus), cosmos, Crambe cordifolia, and veronicas (Veronica incana, Veronica longifolia). Its flowers hold well when cut, and can also be dried before fully blooming to be included in dry arrangements.