Flower profile

Northern seaside goldenrod

Solidago sempervirens

Native in the lower 48

Northern seaside goldenrod is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in August–November.

23states

6of our state lists

10,666U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island

Quick look

Solidago sempervirens, the seaside goldenrod or salt-marsh goldenrod, is a plant species in the genus Solidago of the family Asteraceae. It is native to eastern North America and parts of the Caribbean. It is an introduced species in the Great Lakes region. Similar plants found in the Azores are thought have evolved from a natural introduction of this species.
From Wikipedia's article Solidago sempervirens, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 23 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maine, Rhode Island and Delaware. ^NatureServe
In New York, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in September–December. ^iNaturalist
In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in September–November. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3.5 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 3,783 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #58 among the 109 flowers on our New York list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,971 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #75 among the 110 flowers on our Massachusetts list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,808 research-grade sightings of it in New Jersey, ranking #50 among the 110 flowers on our New Jersey list. ^iNaturalist

Northern seaside goldenrod gift ideas

Handmade northern seaside goldenrod gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,188 records)

Bloom time in each of our 6 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New York	Native	September–December	3,783
Massachusetts	Native	September–November	1,971
New Jersey	Native	September–November	1,808
Maine	Native	July–October	1,360
Rhode Island	Native	September–November	342
Delaware	Native	September–December	168

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
New York: Variety listed Only Solidago sempervirens var. mexicana is on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3) (state endangered). NatureServe: S5, secure in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
Delaware: Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Delaware. ^{DE rare plants 2024}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: Solidago sempervirens var. mexicana is on New York's rare plant list (state endangered). ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Northern seaside goldenrod in 23 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia.

New York counties with USDA records: Bronx, Dutchess, Erie, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Westchester.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Hampden, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

New Jersey counties with USDA records: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Somerset, Union.

More New York flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in NY: June–September

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in NY: August–October

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in NY: June–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SOSE.
iNaturalist, Solidago sempervirens: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Solidago sempervirens (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
Delaware: Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list).
Delaware: Delaware Invasive Plant List (3 Del. Admin. Code § 806-3.0).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Solidago sempervirens (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Duarte Frade via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.