The Fireworks Goldenrod, otherwise known as the Solidago Rugosa ‘Fireworks’ or Rough Goldenrod ‘Fireworks’, Rough-Stemmed Goldenrod ‘Fireworks’, Wrinkle-Leaf Goldenrod ‘Fireworks’, Rough-Leaf Goldenrod ‘Fireworks’, is a rather famous perennial plant loved by gardening enthusiasts around the world.
Best known for its low maintenance and fast growth, this perennial will likely liven up your house (or garden) with its green-colored leaves. But, only if you learn how to take proper care of it for it to thrive.
Fortunately, this is exactly what we’ll cover in this Fireworks Goldenrod Care Guide. So let’s dive in.
The basic care guidelines you need to remember for your Fireworks Goldenrod are the following:
- Water: The Fireworks Goldenrod needs evenly spread moist soil – try to avoid letting the soil dry out.
- Light: Keep your Solidago Rugosa ‘Fireworks’ in an environment where it can receive full sun on a daily basis.
- Soil: Make sure to keep the Fireworks Goldenrod in soil with moist but well-draining properties, so ideally, one that is made of sand.
And as with many other plants, these are the only three care factors you need to remember to make sure your Fireworks Goldenrod is, for the most part, healthy and well to survive.
Scientific / Botanical Aspects
In botanical terms, the Fireworks Goldenrod belongs to the Asteraceae family, the genus Solidago and the species Rugosa, hence its scientific (or botanical) name Solidago Rugosa ‘Fireworks’.
As with other Solidago’s, the Fireworks Goldenrod is a herbaceous plant, which means it will die back to the ground every year.
Growing Region
The Fireworks Goldenrod is a plant native to Eastern North America.
You might be wondering why your Fireworks Goldenrod’s native region is important. Well, if you know where your plant originally came from, you’ll know which environmental conditions it prefers, and with it, knowledge on how to replicate it at home.
With this in mind, the Solidago Rugosa ‘Fireworks’ will be most used to the heat zones in the 4 – 9 region, as the plant hardiness level falls between 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8b, 8a and the ideal climate zone is between 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.
Growth and Size
Growth
In terms of size and growth, the Fireworks Goldenrod is a relatively fast grower, which makes things tricky for any plant enthusiast.
Size
But what exactly does this mean for your Fireworks Goldenrod? How large a pot should you consider, how tall, how wide can it get? Let’s jump in…
The Solidago Rugosa ‘Fireworks’ can grow up to 2′ – 3′ (60cm – 90cm) in 2′ – 3′ (60cm – 90cm) and 2′ – 3′ (60cm – 90cm) in 2′ – 3′ (60cm – 90cm).
These dimensions make the Fireworks Goldenrod a relatively medium perennial compared to others, so it’s best to keep this fact in mind since it will affect where you want to keep yours at home.
This is why experts recommend keeping an area of approximately 24″ – 36″ (60cm – 90cm) free so the Fireworks Goldenrod can spread to its best extent.
Watering
In terms of watering, the Fireworks Goldenrod is a fairly complicated plant to take care of. This is mostly because it has a not so straightforward watering schedule and somewhat irregular watering needs.
Specifically, most experts agree that the Solidago Rugosa ‘Fireworks’ needs evenly spread moist soil – try to avoid letting the soil dry out.
Which is why it is considered a plant with relatively average needs in terms of water.
As a rule of thumb, you should remember to keep your Fireworks Goldenrod in soil with moist but well-draining to well-draining characteristics, as these will guarantee the right conditions for your plant to grow and thrive.
When you consider this, this is why you should aim to choose soil that has good drainage, moist, occasionally dry, and occasionally wet properties to keep the right moisture levels at all times.
However, in our experience, the best solution to knowing the right amount of water for your Fireworks Goldenrod is with the ‘thumb’ technique. Basically, you insert your finger into the soil, and based if you feel the soil moist or dry, you determine if it needs any water, which is the most appropriate way to go about watering your leafy friend.
Soil Mix
As mentioned earlier, the Fireworks Goldenrod prefers to have soil with good drainage, moist, occasionally dry, and occasionally wet properties at all times, reason why you need to make the soil mix out of sand.
This is why most experts agree that the Fireworks Goldenrod requires soil with clay, loam (silt), and sand, which will give you the right conditions it needs.
In addition to this, expert gardeners recommend having preferably neutral to acid soil.
Light and Exposure
In terms of light & exposure, the Fireworks Goldenrod requires full sun in order for it to thrive under the right conditions.
Most experts agree that this perennial will do well as long as you keep it in full sun, and it will be able to grow properly.
Specifically, we recommend that you place your Solidago Rugosa ‘Fireworks’ in full and direct sun (more than 6 hours of direct sunlight per day).
Season
Being a herbaceous plant, the Fireworks Goldenrod will die back to the ground every year. But, you can expect it to have its ‘prime-time’ during the summer (late), and during the fall.
Flowers
You can expect your Fireworks Goldenrod to flower around the summer and in the fall months from July to September (summer), and from October to December (fall).
In particular, this perennial is well known for its flowers for cutting and showy flowers around the plant enthusiast community.
The Fireworks Goldenrod produces some beautiful yellow flowers around this time of year.
Foliage
The leaves from the Fireworks Goldenrod have a beautiful green color during most of the year.
In particular, they have a simple arrangement with an alternate organization in its leaves. You can expect the leaves from your Solidago Rugosa ‘Fireworks’ to be around (3-6 inches) in size.
Attracts, Tolerance and Resistance
The Fireworks Goldenrod is well known for being able to attract butterflies and birds, so keep that in mind when choosing your plant, as you’ll likely end up finding one or another in your garden.
Additionally, it has a special tolerance for drought, clay soil, wert soil, and animals like deer, so don’t worry if any of these come along, your Solidago Rugosa ‘Fireworks’ will be fine.
Garden
How should you then organize your garden to include your new Fireworks Goldenrod? Here are some recommendations by expert gardeners.
Most owners consider that this plant complement well most gardens of informal and cottage, coastal garden, and in prairie and meadow styles.
In particular, the Fireworks Goldenrod’s best location within your garden is in beds and borders, others use it for landscaping in a firescaping/fire wise, cutting garden, or a very wet areas.
Conclusion
And we’ve come to an end. Fortunately, that’s everything you need to know about your Fireworks Goldenrod to keep it safe and sound in your garden or home. Enjoy planting!
