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Plant Profile

Spring-flowering Goldenrod (Solidago verna)

This shot shows the plant in its natural habitat. Photo Credit: Rob Gardner

Global Rank: G3 - Vulnerable
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Asteraceae
State: NC, SC
Nature Serve ID: 128237
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection: 05/28/1986

Description:

Solidago verna is the only spring-flowering goldenrod that occurs in the Sandhills and Coastal Plain of the Carolinas. It can be found in a wide array of habitats, including pine savannas, pocosins, and pine barrens. Solidago verna stems can reach 5 tall and it flowers from late April to June displaying many relatively large, showy yellow heads (TNC 1993). This narrow-endemic is state-listed endangered in North Carolina and South Carolina. Despite the similarity between its current and historical distribution, it is likely that a number of historical occurrences have been extirpated through human-related disturbances and fire suppression (TNC 1993). Its primary threat is loss of habitat through fire suppression and land-use conversion.

Where is Spring-flowering Goldenrod (Solidago verna) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Streamhead Pocosin ecotones, terraces along the Little River, wet pine flatwoods (TNC 1993)

Distribution:

Sandhills and Coastal Plains of North Carolina and South Carolina (TNC 1993)

States & Provinces:

Spring-flowering Goldenrod can be found in North Carolina, South Carolina

Which CPC Partners conserve Spring-flowering Goldenrod (Solidago verna)?

North Carolina Botanical Garden

Not Sponsored

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Although restricted to a narrow range in northeastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina, Solidago verna occurs in a wide variety of habitats. However, this species is moderately threatened by alteration and destruction of habitat for development, plantation pineland and agriculture.

01/01/2010

Habitat loss due to fire suppression and land development. (TNC 1993)

01/01/2010

71 extant populations are now known from 15 counties. 37 of the populations are on federal lands. (TNC 1993)

01/01/2010

Reproductive strategies were investigated by graduate student Martha Brewster at North Carolina State University. (Brewster 1995)

01/01/2010

In North Carolina, 37 of the populations are on federal land (NFS or DoD). Most of these populations, which are found in the Croatan National Forest and Fort Bragg, are benefiting from expanded use of prescribed burning. Burns at Fort Bragg occur on a 3 year, growing season rotation.

01/01/2010

Fire management on populations not receiving such management. Monitoring and demographic studies and census counts are needed to determine management efficacy. Research on the relationship between this species and fire disturbance is also needed. This species may better respond to a less frequent burning regime (TNC 1993)

01/01/2010

Seed collection from populations not represented in collection (only 1 population represented in NCBG collection).