Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Euthamia occidentalis, known by the common names Western Goldenrod and Western Goldentop, is a deciduous flowering perennial plant. It is native to most of the western states. It is most widespread in California, where it is primarily found at elevations below 5,000 feet, in damp ground along rivers and streams, irrigation ditches, meadows, tidal channels, fresh to brackish marshes, and other wetlands.



Western Goldentop is a spreading rhizomatous plant with thin, tall, and branched stems clad with long, narrow, gray-green leaves. It will usually grow from 4 to 6 feet tall, and can be used for erosion control and bank stabilization. It produces numerous small yellow flower heads that are united into loose, rounded blossom clusters at the ends of the branches. It blooms during late summer and autumn, attracting many bees and other pollinators.

Plant type

Perennial herb

Size

4 - 6 ft Tall

Form

Upright

Growth rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Fragrance

Slight

Calscape icon
Color

Yellow

Flowering season

Summer, Fall

Special uses

Bank stabilization

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Water

Low, Very Low

Summer irrigation

Keep moist

Soil drainage

Fast, Medium, Slow, Standing

Soil description

Tolerant of a variety of garden soils as long as sufficient moisture is available.

Sunset Zones

1, 2*, 3*, 4, 5, 6*, 7*, 8, 9, 10, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Site type

Marshes, streambanks, meadows, and other moist to wet places

Plant communities

Coastal Prairie, Coastal Salt Marsh, Freshwater Marsh, Sagebrush Scrub, Valley Grassland, Wetland-Riparian

Bees
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 1 likely

Confirmed Likely