Western Showy Goldenrod
Solidago pallida (Porter) Rydb. is native in scattered populations to openings in pine woods and prairie habitats in northern New Mexico and Colorado in the foothills of the Rocky Mts. and in the Black Hills in Wyoming and South Dakota and adjacent Nebraska. It was reported to occur in northwestern Ontario near southern Manitoba (Semple et al. 2012). I have not seen specimens from North Dakota or northwestern Minnesota yet, but the species may be present in that area. It was treated as S. speciosa ssp. pallida (Porter) Semple by Semple & Cook (2006 FNA). A multivariate study of the S. speciosa complex by the Astereae Lab post FNA indicated that it should be recognized as a species closely related to S. jejunifolia and S. rigidiuscula (Semple et al. 2017). The species produces basal stem and rosette leaves that are present at flowering time; these have broadly winged petioles. The fruits are usually sparsely strigose. The species is diploid (2n=18). Semple and Cook (2022) published a cytogeography maps for S. pallida and related species.
Semple, J.C., L. Tong, M.J. Oldham and W. Bakowsky. 2012. Solidago pallida new to Ontario and Canada. Phytoneuron 2012-106: 1-5.
Semple, J.C., L. Tong, and Y.A. Chong. 2017. Multivariate studies of Solidago subsect. Squarrosae. I. The Solidago speciosa complex (Asteraceae: Astereae). Phytoneuron 2017-18: 1–23.
Semple, J.C. and R.E. Cook. 2022. The cytogeography of Solidagosect. Erectae, sect. Villosicarpae, sect. Squarrosae, and sect. Brintonia (Asteraceae: Astereae). Taxonomy 2: 261–278.
Last revised 7 April 2025 by J.C. Semple
© 2025 J.C. Semple, including all photographs unless otherwise indicated
1-x. Solidago pallida. 1. Large plant, Black Hills, South Dakota. 2. Mid size shoot, Semple 11304, Pennington Co., South Dakota. 3. Robust plant, photo by Wasyl Bakowsky, Ontario. 4-5. Rootstock and basal rosette leaves, Semple 11401, Crook Co., Wyoming. 6. Inflorescence, Black Hills, South Dakota.