Stiff Goldenrod, Solidago ridiga, is a somewhat weedy, rhizomatous, perennial which typically occurs in open woods, glades, thickets and prairies. Features tiny, bright yellow, daisy-like flowers borne in dense, erect, flat-topped terminal clusters atop stiff, broad-leaved, hairy stems typically growing 3-5 feet tall. Individual flowers (to ½-inch diameter) are larger than those of most other native goldenrods. Flowers bloom late summer to early autumn. The blooming period occurs from late summer to fall, and lasts about a month. The achenes have small tufts of white or light brown hair, and are distributed by the wind. This plant has deep fibrous roots, and it has a tendency to form offsets.
Habitats include moist to slightly dry black soil prairies, clay prairies, savannas, thickets, limestone glades, abandoned fields, roadsides, and open areas along railroads, particularly where prairie remnants occur.
Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil