Got Nature? Blog

Explore the dual nature of goldenrods in conservation plantings. While goldenrods like tall and Canada goldenrod benefit pollinators and wildlife, their aggressive growth can outcompete other plants, reducing diversity. This guide offers insights into managing goldenrods to maintain a balanced and thriving ecosystem. Essential reading for land managers and conservationists committed to maintaining a diverse grassland ecosystem.

Check out the Managing Conservation Plantings series which include details on how to control invasive species and other problematic plants in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) plantings and native warm-season grass and wildflower conservation plantings.

Plant Facts

• Herbaceous broadleaf, typically 3-5 feet tall (can range from 1 to 7 feet)
• Perennial warm-season forb
• Growing period: April to October
• Flowering: late July through October
• Reproduction: by seed and rhizome

Whether you’re managing a pasture, wildlife area, or prairie restoration, this resource provides science-based strategies to control goldenrod effectively. Learn more about managing goldenrod species in grasslands and wildlife habitats, enhancing your land’s ecological health by reading the full publication: Managing Conservation Plantings: Goldenrod Control, (330kb, pdf).

This publication is part of a seven publication series The Managing Conservation Plantings Series. Publications in this series include:

• Golden Rod Control
• Thinning Native Warm-Season Grasses
• Sericea Lespedeza Control
• Woody Encroachment and Woody Invasives
• Johnson Grass Control
• Reed Canarygrass Control
• Teasel Control (Common and Cut Leaved)
• Controlling Introduced Cool-season Grasses
• Crownvetch, Sweetclover and Birdsfoot Trefoil Control

Resources:
Deer Impact Toolbox & Grassland Management, Purdue Extension Pond and Wildlife Management
What Are Invasive Species and Why Should I Care?, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
ReportINvasive, Purdue Extension & Indiana Invasive Species Council
Ask an Expert: Wildlife Food Plots, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence, The Education Store
Find an Indiana Professional Forester, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association (IFWOA)
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment , Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist
Bovine Tuberculosis in Wild White-tailed Deer, The Education Store
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 1, Field Dressing, video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Subscribe to Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources YouTube Channel, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel

Jarred Brooke, Wildlife Extension Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources