As the name suggests, Seaside Goldenrod is a plant of salt marshes and sandy soil near the sea.

I saw it while walking along the St Lawrence River near Rivière du Loup. Québec

It is a halophyte meaning that it is adapted to growing in saline conditions. It occasionally appears beside roadways which receive a lot of winter salt de-icing in Ontario.

The flowers are very showy.

Seaside Goldenrod flowers tend to have 8 – 10 rays.

The plant flowers from late summer until well into the fall.

It is about .5 meter to 2.5 meters in height.

The leaves are smooth in texture.

They have no teeth.

Seaside Goldenrod is native to eastern North America and parts of the Caribbean.

The Latin name “Solidago” means “to make whole or heal” and refers to the supposed medicinal qualities of these plants.

“sempervirens” means evergreen as these leaves tend to be when winter approaches.

Miles Hearn