Alternate name: Coast Goldenrod, Mt. Albert Goldenrod
Family: Asteraceae, Aster view all from this family
Description Native perennial herb or subshrub; variable.
Habit: several smooth erect unbranched stems rise from a basal rosette; clumping; may be semi-evergreen.
Height: 2-30 in (5-80 cm).
Leaf: basal rosette: oval to roughly fan-shaped, scalloped edges, to 6 in (15 cm) long and 2 in (6 cm) wide; on stem, alternate, fewer, smaller, more linear.
Flower: small, yellow, daisy-like, with usually 8 rays, the disk replace by usually 13 anthers; in a sticky cluster, to 8 in (190 cm) long, on upper stem.
Fruit: dry seed, to 1/8 in (3 mm) long.
Flower June to September.
Habitat Wide range of habitats: coastal sand dunes, shorelines, open mountain slopes and valleys, alpine meadows, rock crevices.
Range Native to eastern U.S. and western North America; now naturalized from Maine to Virginia, east to Tennessee, Illinois, and Minnesota; from Washington to California, east to Texas, Colorado, and Nebraska; in Alaska, and across southern Canada.
Discussion Also known as: Mt. Albert goldenrod, sticky goldenrod, gilman's goldenrod, dwarf goldenrod. Apart from the species, there are 2 subspecies and 7 varieties of Solidago simplex. Some version of S. simplex is endangered, threatened, etc in 6 states. Like many goldenrods, narrowleaf goldenrod is host to insects and birds. Although it occurs well into the mountains, in alpine regions it is replaced by Alpine Goldenrod (S. multiradiata), which is similar but with bristly hairs on the edges of its leaf stalks.