Silverrod is a North American native. For a comparison chart of some of the varieties of goldenrods, see
Solidago.
Identification: The most important identifying feature of this
goldenrod is that it isn't golden: it is silver (well, okay, cream-colored). This is the only white-flowering Solidago.
(Just to confuse matters, occasionally, they may appear more yellow in color.) Each
flower is less than ¼″ (6.3 mm) across, with whitish rays as well as a tiny yellow disk. Flowers
appear August through October. Flowers are evenly spaced around each stem, not just on one side.
Plants
are up to 3′ (1 m) high, and are found in fields, or in forests open enough to admit a fair amount of
light. Stems are "hispido-villous"—fancy talk for "having [relatively] long and soft hairs."
Plant tops may branch into several clusters of vaguely conical flowerheads—flowers are in clusters
along each branch. Lower leaves are 2-4″ (5-10 cm)
long, with shallow teeth and a grayish down. Upper leaves are elliptical in shape, with a single prominent
central vein.
Edibility: Poisonous Leaves and berries contain solanine, a
poisonous alkaloid.
9/17/2016 · Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor, Maine
9/9/2010 · Pine Meadow Conservation Trust Land, Groton Harvard Road, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 19 cm) ID is uncertain
I don’t usually see them this big, but it is pretty common to see them tipped sideways like this. · 9/17/2013 · Andres Institute of Art, Big Bear Mountain, Brookline, New Hampshire · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 21 cm)