Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows, woodland openings. Summer, fall.
Fish Creek Trail, August 9, 2005.

Solidago velutina is a common late summer and fall golden glow.  In the Four Corners area it grows singly in open woods, as in this picture, or it can grow in large groupings in open meadows and on hillsides.  It arches gently and flowers are borne on one side of the stem  --  as the picture below shows.

Linnaeus named this species from a Canadian specimen in 1753.

William Weber indicates that S. velutina is quite similar to S. canadensis and that both exist in Colorado, but the Flora of North America and the Synthesis indicate that Solidago canadensis exists only in the mid-west and eastern U.S.  The Synthesis indicates that several Solidagos in the West were (and still are) mistakenly assumed to be varieties of Solidago canadensis. They should be considered entirely different species of Solidago, in this case, Solidago velutina.

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows, woodland openings. Summer, fall.
Fish Creek Trail, August 9, 2005.

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Solidago canadensis (Solidago velutina)