Anisescented Goldenrod

Year-round

Sweet goldenrod is a clumping perennial with anise-scented leaves and yellow plumes from July to October. It likes sun and drains well.

• Plant in full sun, or partial shade where it gets 2 to 6 hours.
• It tolerates clay and drought and prefers good drainage.
• Low maintenance and a clumper that does not spread aggressively.
• Rust, powdery mildew or leaf spot can show up occasionally.

Its clumping habit keeps a border neat, and the late flowers stay tidy.

Fall

Peak bloom runs into October, which helps pollinators late in the season.

• Flowers continue through October.
• The source says it provides special value to native and honey bees and attracts birds.
• Leave it standing so birds can use it.

Winter

Rated hardy to zone 4, so Lancaster winters are fine.

• Hardy in zones 4 to 9.
• It is deciduous, so stems die back for winter.
• Keep drainage good so the crown does not sit wet.

Spring

Spring is a good time to plant or to divide mature clumps.

• Divide mature clumps or plant new ones in full sun.
• Choose a spot with good drainage.
• Water new plants until they establish.

Summer

Established plants handle dry spells, and bloom starts in July.

• Drought resistant once established.
• Yellow plumes begin opening in July.
• Watch for rust, powdery mildew or leaf spots, which are occasional.

Year-round

Anisescented goldenrod does well in Orlando's sandy soil and full sun, and once it settles in it needs very little upkeep.

• Give it full sun and sandy, well drained soil, the kind found across most of central Florida.
• Once established, it handles the dry season from November through April without extra watering.
• It spreads by underground stems called rhizomes, so a clump can widen over a few growing seasons.
• Chapman's goldenrod, the form of this species found on the Florida peninsula, is native to the Orlando area's dry sandy uplands, based on Florida Native Plant Society and Florida Wildflower Foundation records for this species.
• It grows three to five feet tall, so give it room at the back of a bed or away from a walkway.

Fall

Fall is when this goldenrod does its main job, covering itself in gold flowers that pollinators depend on.

• Expect plume shaped, anise scented, golden yellow blooms starting in late summer and continuing into October or November in central Florida's mild fall.
• Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators rely on this bloom as one of the last big nectar sources before winter.
• Once the flowers fade, a good window to prune is to cut the spent flower stems back partway. It keeps the bed looking tidy from the street and can cut down on self seeding.
• Leaving some seed heads standing feeds birds through the fall, so consider trimming the front facing stems and leaving a few toward the back of the bed.

Cutting back spent flower stems after bloom keeps this an HOA-friendly, tidy look from the street.

Winter

Winter is this plant's rest period in Orlando, with just an occasional light frost to plan around.

• Orlando's frost free season usually runs from around December 1 to February 20, so a light frost here and there is normal for this stretch.
• The plant goes dormant and the top growth browns and dies back after cold snaps.
• A good window to prune is once the stems have fully browned. Cut them down to a few inches above the ground.
• Cutting back the dead winter stems keeps the front yard looking neat through the dormant months.

Cutting back the browned winter stems keeps this an HOA-conscious, neat look through the dormant season.

Spring

Spring falls inside Orlando's dry season, so this is mostly a quiet, watch and wait stretch for the plant.

• New shoots come up from the rhizomes as the plant wakes from winter rest, often by late winter or early spring in central Florida.
• Spring is part of Orlando's dry season, which runs November through April, so give a young plant water if there has been no rain for a couple of weeks.
• This is a good window to dig up and separate a crowded clump, before the summer growth spurt starts.
• Skip the fertilizer. This plant is used to poor, sandy soil and does not need feeding to bloom well later in the year.

Summer

Summer is Orlando's rainy season, and the daily storms usually cover this plant's water needs on their own.

• Central Florida gets heavy afternoon thunderstorms from about May through October, which typically meets this plant's water needs without help.
• Make sure the spot drains well. This species does not do well in standing water or soil that stays flooded.
• Warm, humid summers can bring on powdery mildew on the leaves. Give plants room to breathe so air can move between them.
• Keep an eye on the rhizomes spreading into nearby beds or the lawn, and pull any shoots that wander too far.