Yes, it spreads both ways. And the rhizomes can travel 10 feet or more before popping up.

tj

It is fairly easy to pull.

Canada Goldenrod is extremely agressive because it spreads quickly by rhzomes, and also by seed. I pull them up when I find vollunteers. They will form an impenetrable monoculture if not dealt with. They are easy to dig up if caught early on. Sometimes I'll allow young vollunteers to bloom for the pollinators and migrating Monarch Butterflies, but I always pull them out afterwards. There are so many more attractive goldenrod species that aren't rhyzomatous, that there's no good reason to grow Solidago canadensis. The non-rhyzomatous species that I'm growing are S. ptarmicoides, S. caesia, S. drummondii, S. speciosa, and Oligoneuron rigida. Soludago canadensis rhyzomes are near the surface, so using a trowl they can be uprooted completely. They will grow back if any rhyzomes are left in the soil. Solidago altissima and Solidago gigantea are part of the Solidago canadensis complex and therefor also rhyzomatously agressive.

Solidago ptarmicoides, formerly Aster ptarmicoides, formerly Oligoneuron album. A white flowered goldenrod. The Solidago species that were moved to Oligoneuron will only cross pollinate with other Oligoneuron species, and not any of the Solidago species.

It is fairly easy to pull.

Younger less establish plants are "pullable" but scrawny me is unable to yank free the older larger plants :(.

It's a public area. Do you think the city would treat it with herbicide if you called them and complained about it? You want to guerilla garden on public property correct? Or is this monoculture spreading into your property? It would be a nightmare to try digging it up at this point. Goldenrod doesn't cause hay fever, so you can't use that as an excuse. Maybe move some of your 'Lemon Queen' to that area, it might overtake the goldenrod? It seems to be as agressive as Helianthus tuberosus.

Hay Jay. Interesting idea but it wont happen. This same park is rampant with Buckthorn and Garlic Mustard. And "my" stand of LQ is in this same park, very much close to fast spreading GR. It isnt the end of the world but it would be good to not have so much GR. Its a bit odd in that it seems to have exploded these past couple of years.

Hmm, I have goldenrod in various spots my yard. It was here when I moved in (non-garden setting) and while it does spread, I wouldn't say it's aggressive, and I find it quite easy to pull up. It does seem to pop up more in non-cultivated spots as opposed to my garden beds. I have no idea what kind it is. I actually love to use it in fall bouquets.

I hope it doesn't spread into your garden area, rouge!

:)

Dee

Whatever species I have here it seems to mostly keep to itself without much spreading around,

Clearly @FrozeBudd_z3/4 Alberta GR is better behaved than that in Ontario ;).

I have exactly the same issue as you, rouge, and it's VERY aggressive behind me and when it makes its way into my yard. There's so much of it that it's overwhelming.