SCIENTIFIC NAME: Solidago riddellii (Oligoneuron riddellii)
COMMON NAMES: Riddell's Goldenrod
BLOOM TIME: Aug, Sept, Oct
PLANT PROFILE:
Grows 1-4 ½ ft. on smooth unbranched stems.
Long narrow leaves with very fine white hairs bend to form a V-shape.
Flat- topped flower clusters may have 30-40 flower heads.
Natives Americans used leaves & tops for tea to treat stomach illness.
Chippewa also used for cramps, fevers, & colds.
INSECT/ANIMAL INTERACTIONS:
Greater Prairie Chicken & Ruffed Grouse, feed on the leaves and flowerheads.
Eastern Goldfinch, Indigo Bunting, Slate-colored Junco, Swamp Sparrow, and Tree Sparrow feed on the seeds.
Muskrat & beaver sometimes feed on the stems or use the stems of wetland goldenrods in the construction of their dams and/or lodges.