Canadian Goldenrod
Solidago canadensis
zones 2-7
50 seeds
The flowers bloom from July through September. Many species of Goldenrod are utilized by insects for a variety of reasons. There are eleven species of Goldenrod in the Rocky Mountains.
Inventor Thomas Edison experimented with Goldenrod to produce rubber, which it contains naturally. Edison created a fertilization and cultivation process to maximize the rubber content in each plant. His experiments produced a 12-foot-tall plant that yielded as much as 12 percent rubber. The rubber produced through Edison's process was resilient and long-lasting. The tires on the Model T given to him by his friend Henry Ford were made from Goldenrod. Examples of the rubber can still be found in his laboratory, elastic and rot free after more than 50 years. However, even though Edison turned his research over to the U.S. government a year before his death, Goldenrod rubber never went beyond the experimental stage.
Goldenrod is easy to start from seed. The plant prefers full sun and dry to well-drained soil. Sow seed directly into a prepared garden in late winter to spring. Divide in early spring. Goldenrod often has long-lived spreading root systems. There may be plants that are hundreds of years old. It’s a good plant for the drought garden. The honeybees swarm it while it is in bloom.
Solidago canadensis
zones 2-7
50 seeds
The flowers bloom from July through September. Many species of Goldenrod are utilized by insects for a variety of reasons. There are eleven species of Goldenrod in the Rocky Mountains.
Inventor Thomas Edison experimented with Goldenrod to produce rubber, which it contains naturally. Edison created a fertilization and cultivation process to maximize the rubber content in each plant. His experiments produced a 12-foot-tall plant that yielded as much as 12 percent rubber. The rubber produced through Edison's process was resilient and long-lasting. The tires on the Model T given to him by his friend Henry Ford were made from Goldenrod. Examples of the rubber can still be found in his laboratory, elastic and rot free after more than 50 years. However, even though Edison turned his research over to the U.S. government a year before his death, Goldenrod rubber never went beyond the experimental stage.
Goldenrod is easy to start from seed. The plant prefers full sun and dry to well-drained soil. Sow seed directly into a prepared garden in late winter to spring. Divide in early spring. Goldenrod often has long-lived spreading root systems. There may be plants that are hundreds of years old. It’s a good plant for the drought garden. The honeybees swarm it while it is in bloom.
Solidago canadensis
zones 2-7
50 seeds
The flowers bloom from July through September. Many species of Goldenrod are utilized by insects for a variety of reasons. There are eleven species of Goldenrod in the Rocky Mountains.
Inventor Thomas Edison experimented with Goldenrod to produce rubber, which it contains naturally. Edison created a fertilization and cultivation process to maximize the rubber content in each plant. His experiments produced a 12-foot-tall plant that yielded as much as 12 percent rubber. The rubber produced through Edison's process was resilient and long-lasting. The tires on the Model T given to him by his friend Henry Ford were made from Goldenrod. Examples of the rubber can still be found in his laboratory, elastic and rot free after more than 50 years. However, even though Edison turned his research over to the U.S. government a year before his death, Goldenrod rubber never went beyond the experimental stage.
Goldenrod is easy to start from seed. The plant prefers full sun and dry to well-drained soil. Sow seed directly into a prepared garden in late winter to spring. Divide in early spring. Goldenrod often has long-lived spreading root systems. There may be plants that are hundreds of years old. It’s a good plant for the drought garden. The honeybees swarm it while it is in bloom.