| SUN | SOIL MOISTURE | HEIGHT |
|---|---|---|
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to 2' |
| BLOOM | USDA ZONES | BLOOM COLOR |
|---|---|---|
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Cliff Goldenrod is a compact, tough, and highly adaptable native perennial that thrives in rocky, dry, and nutrient-poor soils where few other flowering plants can survive. Its bright golden blooms spill over ledges and slopes in late summer, creating a striking display that supports a wide range of pollinators. Endemic to a relatively narrow part of the United States including the states of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. It is considered to be rare in those states although in some areas it is still locally abundant. In these areas the population may be declining as it is easily outcompeted for sunlight by other, more aggressive species. In the wild, fire would have eliminated this competition naturally. As the name would suggest this species is found on limestone bluffs and outcroppings. Having a stand of this species in your garden helps to create a biological reservoir should the plant become more restricted in its distribution than it already is. Currently, there is a threat that it may become extirpated from Minnesota; one of only 4 states in which it naturally occurs. It has also been listed as a plant of special concern since 1984.
Cliff goldenrod forms tidy clumps of arching stems topped with dense sprays of small, golden yellow flowers. Late summer through early fall (August-October) is show-time for this species.
Overall height at 1–3 feet.
Its narrow leaves and gracefully cascading flower clusters give it a soft, fountain-like appearance—perfect for rock gardens, slopes, and dry native plantings.
Cliff goldenrod excels in challenging sites, including rocky outcrops, dry meadows, and erosion-prone slopes where its deep roots help stabilize soil.
A critical late season nectar source for native bees, honeybees, butterflies, beetles, and beneficial wasps. Supports larvae of numerous native moths, including goldenrod specialists such as the Wavy lined Emerald, Brown Hooded Owlet, and Asteroid Moth, along with gall forming insects and goldenrod specialist beetles.
Historically, goldenrods were used by Indigenous peoples and herbalists for teas, poultices, and respiratory support. These traditions are historical only and not recommended for modern medicinal practice.
Seeds feed finches and sparrows, and hollow stems provide winter nesting habitat for native stem-nesting bees. Nectar provided is valuable to migratory insects in the fall.
| Unreported | |
 | Unreported (Absent for area) |
| Native | |
 | Native in state (NA Native and Present in state, but not Present in county) |
 | Native in state and Present in county (NA Native and Present in state, and Present in county) |
 | Rare in state and Present in county (NA Native and Rare in state, and Present in county) |
 | Extirpated/Historic in state/Native (NA Native and Reported in county) |
 | Adventive or Introduced state (NA Native and Adventive in state, and Present in county) |
| Exotic Occurrences | |
 | Exotic in state (Exotic and Present in state, but not Present in county) |
 | Exotic in state and Present in county (Exotic and Present in state, and Present in county) |
| Other | |
 | Noxious in state (Noxious in state, and Present in county) |
 | Questionable Presence (cross-hatched) |
Cliff Goldenrod grows in full sun; tolerates light partial shade. Soil moisture ranges from dry to medium; excellent drought tolerance once established. Soil can be rocky, sandy, or well-drained; thrives on cliffs, ledges, and open hillsides.
Please note that Riverside Native Perennials (RNP) only ships our potted “35” product via USPS. We generally can have your plants boxed up and ready to go within two or three days. All other products including our flat of plugs, 1-gallon and 3-gallon containers are only available for nursery pick up in Delaware, OH. For large orders of any of our products we can arrange shipping at an extra cost. Please contact the nursery for additional information.
It’s important to note that when we send plants to you, presentation is everything! We recognize that you’re expecting healthy plants to arrive safely on your doorstep ready to be planted and that is what we’re selling. Further, we want you to know that while we are a fully licensed and inspected perennial nursery in the state of Ohio…we are in Ohio! That means we are subject to Ohio weather. The average frost-free date for our area is May 15. So even though you may live in Florida or California your plants are growing under Ohio conditions and we do not heat our greenhouses due to the expense. Our plants may be slightly delayed but again it’s because we’re in a Zone 5 area. Because we ship nationwide, we ship plants at all times of the year. If it’s winter in Ohio, you’ll be getting dormant plants. If it’s spring or summer in Ohio, you’ll be getting plants of various sizes that are actively growing. Plants shipped during fall in Ohio may be dormant or may be heading towards dormancy. This is all natural and we do not try to modify or prolong the growing season other than to grow them in an unheated greenhouse. Even in an unheated greenhouse our plants are much further along and growing well early in the spring than if they were planted outside in Zone 5. If you would like additional information about sizes for a particular species, please contact us via email.
In 2021 RNP partnered with a shipping professional to design and develop a shipping system that could reasonably be expected to survive the USPS mail room and transportation process. After several design sessions and going back to the drawing board on more than a couple of occasions we created a shipping box system that, to us, is bulletproof. It is strong, lightweight and, to date, has not failed in shipping thousands of packages of plants to all corners of the country.
Once selected from our greenhouse benches, your plants are placed into a small plastic bag to maintain moisture during shipping. To keep the soil in the pot we created a cardboard insert that perfectly fits into the top of our 35 containers. The insert has a cutout that surrounds to plant stem without damaging it. The plastic bag and insert are secured by two rubber bands. Each bagged plant is then placed into an individual corrugated cardboard box which perfectly fits the 35 container, and which locks it in place so that it will not move during transit. Four individual boxes are then placed into another, even heavier duty corrugated cardboard master shipping box. The whole effect is that of double boxing your plants. They are safe and secure for the long trip to your home landscape!
The system only works with 4 individual boxes being packed into a single master shipping box so we encourage you to buy four plants or a multiple of four plants. You can buy less than four plants but we will need to send all the cardboard for four plants in order for the shipping system to succeed as designed.
