Solidago, commonly called goldenrods, is a genus of about 100 to 120 species of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae. Most are herbaceous perennial species found in open areas such as meadows, prairies, and savannas.
Solidago canadensis, commonly called Canadian goldenrod, is a rhizomatous, upright perennial of the sunflower family. It is mostly found growing in moist conditions on abandoned farmlands, pastures, fields, thickets, prairies, waste areas and along roadsides. Central stems are clad with numerous, narrow, alternate, lance-shaped, sharply-toothed, stalkless to short-stalked green leaves (to 6" long and 1" wide) which are hairless above but hairy beneath and tapered at each end. Central stems are hairless near the base but soft hairy above the middle. Central stems rise to 4-5' (less frequently to 7') tall and are topped in late summer to fall (August to October) with large horizontally branched terminal pyramidal panicles containing one-sided recurving branches filled with masses of tiny yellow flowers (each to 1/8").