Loose, airy blooms dance atop slender stems of Slender Goldentop in late summer, gracing the garden with a distinct pungent fragrance that always reminds us of the dog days of summer. The long-lasting floral display lights up the garden and invigorates your local pollinator population with its nutritious nectar and pollen. The roots are fibrous with long rhizomes that may produce a gradually widening (generally well-behaved) expanse of clonal pups that can be divided every two to three years.
The Slender Goldentop can be found on display on the Main House Terraces. This particular specimen was wild collected from pine flatwoods in North Carolina.
Conditions: Full sun to part shade; generally found in moist to wet acidic soils; adaptable to poor drainage
Size: 1’-3’ tall; 1’-3’ spread
Zone: 3 - 10
Wildlife Value: Larval host for six species of butterflies and moths; flowers are a favorite of native bees
Photos: Samantha Nestory, David Korbonits