Bog Goldenrod

Solidago uliginosa

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Solidago is a keystone genus supporting 122 lepidoptera species in the region. Bog goldenrod provides critical late-season floral resources (Aug-Sep) in wetland habitats where alternative forage is limited. The genus Solidago supports 40 specialist bee species, more than any other plant genus in eastern North America.
S13 122 lepidoptera; S17 40 specialist bee spp. on Solidago
🐛 Larval Host: Cucullia asteroides, Cucullia convexipennis, Leuconycta diphteroides, Synchlora aerata, Eusarca confusaria, Schinia nundina
S13+S15 6 verified Eastern NA
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Andrena hirticincta, Andrena nubecula, Andrena placata, Andrena simplex, Andrena braccata, Colletes simulans, Colletes compactus, Colletes solidaginis, Melissodes druriellus, Melissodes agilis, Melissodes trinodis
S17 Fowler pollen specialists on Solidago with Eastern NA ranges; S68 Andrena braccata and Melissodes druriellus confirmed on S. uliginosa
❄️ Winter Food Source: Solidago seeds persist into winter and are consumed by Wild Turkey (0.5% of diet) and Greater Sage-Grouse (10.2% of diet by weight/volume). The small achenes with pappi remain attached to dried stems, providing accessible forage for ground-foraging birds.
S57 genus-level avian diet data

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Secure in Ontario (S5) and Apparently Secure in Quebec (S4). Globally ranked G5 and IUCN Least Concern. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. In the Ottawa area, Brunton (2005) lists it as RS with 5 sites, suggesting relatively restricted local distribution in suitable bog and fen habitats despite overall provincial security.
S22 G5, IUCN LC; S26 not SARA listed; S62 RS with 5 Ottawa sites
Rarity Ranks: QC S4 – Apparently Secure, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Bog goldenrod is an obligate wetland species (OBL) found in bogs, fens, marshes, wet meadows, and peaty seeps. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region it occurs in acidic to circumneutral peatlands and fen margins, often growing in Sphagnum or saturated muck alongside Alnus, Betula populifolia, and Myrica gale. It is one of the few late-blooming goldenrods adapted to persistently wet, nutrient-poor conditions.
S6 bogs and wet areas; S7 bogs, fens, cedar swamps, marly places; S61 bogs, fens, meadows, wetland margins; S62 5 Ottawa sites

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Nutrient Accumulator, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: spines? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S72 Hemenway (tables: appendix_a, pp. 186)] | Nutrient Accumulator: S72 Hemenway (tables: appendix_a, pp. 186)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 4 bee associations (threshold=3)]
Notes: Functions as an insectary plant attracting beneficial insects to wetland guild plantings and as a nutrient accumulator that can improve fertility in nutrient-poor bog and fen soils. Its late-season bloom (Aug-Sep) fills a critical pollinator gap when few other wetland species are flowering. Tolerates juglone conditions, expanding design flexibility near walnut-family trees.
S72 insectary + nutrient accumulator; S3 tolerates juglone; S46 attracts butterflies and pollinators

Category: Dermatological Aid
S28 Potawatomi Drug, Dermatological Aid
Notes: The Potawatomi used a poultice of the root to bring boils to a head (Smith, 1933). This is the only documented medicinal use for this species in the Moerman NAEB database.
S28 Potawatomi dermatological aid, root poultice for boils

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: No documented edible uses. Moerman records only medicinal use (dermatological aid) by the Potawatomi; no food category entries exist for this species.
S28 no Food category; S29 PFAF no edible data