Editor’s note: please enjoy the first of our regular Plant of the Month articles, profiling local botanical treasures in Midtown Brandywine. Our inaugural plant of the month is submitted by our neighbor Kathy Kunkel.
This colorful perennial, goldenrod, will add beauty to your garden as well as attract beneficial insects.
Looks can be deceiving so don’t worry, goldenrod is not ragweed, so it won’t aggravate your allergies. It adds not only a splash of color for your late season garden, but it also attracts bees and butterflies, pollinators that we want to encourage. These native perennials prefer full sun and are drought-tolerant. The sunnier the location, the more blooms you’ll see, and they will still bloom in shady areas. There are several varieties, but most are North American natives. They tend to get tall and floppy, pinching them back early in the season helps to keep them looking bushier, and they can also be divided.
I got mine at one of the Native plant sales at least 15 years ago and it’s still healthy and blooming. For more information, visit Goldenrod Wildflowers at The Spruce.
Post by Kathy Kunkel.
This story originally appeared in Midtown Brandywine News, September 2023.
