Solidago

Solidago is a genus of flowering plants, family Asteraceae, commonly called goldenrod, comprising about 100 to 120 mostly herbaceous perennial species, primarily native to North America including Mexico, with a few species native to South America and Eurasia; several American species have been introduced to Europe and elsewhere. Found in open habitats such as meadows, prairies and savannas, the genus is known for bright golden-yellow flower heads blooming in late summer, spreading through wind-dispersed seeds or underground rhizomes that form vegetative clones, and is considered a keystone species, described as the single most important plant for North American pollinator biodiversity; it is commonly but inaccurately blamed for hay fever, which is actually caused by ragweed. Solidago is the state flower of Kentucky and Nebraska and the state herb of Delaware, and the genus was formally named by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.