Acer glabra

'Fireworks' goldenrod just earned a spot on the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Gold Medal Plants list in 2025, and it's well deserved — the blooms are gorgeous, pollinators can't get enough of them, and it actually behaves itself in the garden. What more could you want?

Goldenrods (Solidago) get a bit of a bad rap — people think they're weedy (okay, some do spread aggressively) and that they cause seasonal allergies (they don't — that's ragweed's fault, since it blooms at the same time with its boring, barely-there flowers). The truth is, these North American natives are absolutely stunning when they light up the garden with yellow from late summer into fall, and bees and butterflies adore them. Their pollen is sticky and heavy, so it doesn't float through the air — goldenrods are totally innocent when it comes to allergies!

Now, some goldenrods are definitely better suited for garden life than others, and 'Fireworks' is one of the good ones. It stays compact and doesn't go running all over the place.

Common name: 'Fireworks' goldenrod

Botanical name: Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks'

Origin: This one was selected at the North Carolina Botanical Garden by Ken Moore and introduced back in 1993. It's a cultivar of Solidago rugosa, a wonderfully variable species that's native across much of the eastern U.S. and Canada, growing naturally in meadows, bogs, pine barrens, and low woods. 'Fireworks' itself came from a population on North Carolina's coastal plain.

Flowers: In late summer, 18-inch-long spikes of tiny flowers appear, arching gracefully outward — just like fireworks. The show continues right into fall.

Foliage: Medium to dark green leaves with a nicely wrinkled texture.

Size and habit: 'Fireworks' grows as a mass of upright stems reaching three to four feet tall and wide — a substantial but well-mannered herbaceous perennial.

Growing 'Fireworks' goldenrod

How to grow it: Like most Solidago, 'Fireworks' wants full sun, good drainage, and regular moisture — though it'll handle wet soil too. Give it room to do its thing, or pair it with plants that can stand their ground, because it does tend to spread by rhizomes and self-sowing. That said, it's not what I'd call aggressive, and you can easily keep it in check by digging and dividing every few years. USDA Zones 4–8.