Sweet Goldenrod is a graceful native goldenrod with smooth, lance-shaped leaves that emit a distinct anise or licorice scent when crushed. Found in dry, open woodlands and sandy soils across the eastern United States, it blooms in late summer with one-sided arching sprays of golden flowers. The aromatic leaves were brewed into a tea called 'Blue Mountain Tea' and were once an official medicinal plant. It is the most fragrant of the native goldenrods.
Habitat
Found in dry sandy or rocky open woodlands, forest edges, and clearings in the eastern United States.
Diet
Provides late-season nectar for native bees and butterflies; seeds eaten by sparrows.
How common
Uncommon
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