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Goldenrod blooms up north before it blooms in the south?

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22K views 40 replies 26 participants last post by  Scrapfe  
I
#1 ·
Ok, I know this season has been a not so normal one but I'm wondering about something...

I've always thought that plants start blooming first in the southern states and then the bloom moves northward. I've been hearing folks in the northern states and even up into Canada talking about goldenrod already blooming. Here in south central Alabama I haven't seen any blooming yet. We've been getting more rain than normal this summer in our local area, really nice for a change. I'm wondering if this is holding the goldenrod back. So, is the goldenrod blooming up north before it blooms in the south "normal"?

Thanks,
Ed
 
C
#2 ·
LOL, no Ed, that's not how it works. The fall blooming plants bloom earlier in the north due to their shorter summers. Here in Mississippi, u won't see goldenrod blooming until late August-mid September, because of our longer growing season. I'm sure it is the same in Crenshaw. Plants bloom according to sunlight and/or temperature. That is why the northern states have earlier late blooms than we do.
 
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#7 ·
casinoken said:
LOL, no Ed, that's not how it works. The fall blooming plants bloom earlier in the north due to their shorter summers. ...<snip>
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Thanks casinoken! Duh, I feel like a real dunce, now. :eek: But I get over things pretty quick. ;) That makes perfectly good sense, but I've never thought about it. Thanks for my continuing education! :)

I just looked at some goldenrod photos I took last year, they were in full bloom with the dates ranging from 9/10/11 to 10/04/11. On 10/12/11 I took some pictures of some asters and tarweed that looked pretty good and then on 10/27/11 I made some pictures of some wild aster but they were beginning to look a little tired. So if I go by these dates and consider the seasons are about 2 weeks ahead of schedule I should have goldenrod in full bloom by the last week in August? I have looked at some grod and there is some swelling of the buds. It will be interesting to see when it starts blooming this year...hopefully it won't be too early.

Ed
 
M
#3 ·
From the smell, our goldenrod flow started on August 6. Yesterday the fragrance was a bit much. In a normal year, the flow starts about the 15th and ends before the middle of September. I expect the flow will last until late August this year. As with eall the flows this year, it's a week or two early.

Not only does goldenrod flow period vary from north to south, it varies east to west. My flow will be winding down, and over Buffalo way it will be just starting.
 
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#8 ·
Michael Palmer said:
<snip> Not only does goldenrod flow period vary from north to south, it varies east to west. My flow will be winding down, and over Buffalo way it will be just starting.
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I checked a map out and there is 2-degrees latitude difference between Buffalo and St. Albans....could that difference along with Buffalo being situated on the shore of Lake Erie cause the difference in bloom times rather than the difference of latitude? Just thinking... :)

Ed
 
S
#41 ·
Acebird said:
I think it has to do with moisture and not temperature so much....
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I think it has as much, if not more to do with the increased hours of daylight the further North you travel. Besides, who knows it the golden rod in the North or the South have identical DNA? I certainly don't know. At any rate golden rod is blooming here and started almost two weeks ago.
 
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J
#11 ·
Moisture has little to do with flower signaling. It's typically a temperature and day length respsonse. Some crops even need to reach a number of 'heat units' before flowering is initiated as well, others need cold vernalization. Water stress can initiate flowering at times but it's not ideal. Lot of plants fall under a short day or long day category as well but it's actually the length of darkness that's critical. Even short bursts of light at night can prevent flowering.
 
H
#19 ·
sqkcrk said:
I'm surprised when someone brings GOD into a Forum on bees and beekeeping. I'm also surprised when people reduce GOD to a Technical Theatre Manager.
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I'm not surprised. Reverend Langstroth brought God into beekeeping in "The Hive and the Honeybee" very eloquently so to do so is normal and continues the legacy.

On the subject of Goldenrod, aren't there many different varieties of Goldenrod and will this not explain some of the blooming difference? Most on this forum talk about how great the fall goldenrod bloom is and how much nectar the bees collect but I get nothing but pollen here - year after year. I asked a local beekeeper and they said it was our variety - whatever that is.:kn:
 
K
#23 ·
Speaking with several oldtimers they say the earliest goldenrod doesn't do much as far as nectar which is what I am seeing this year. Three days before going to EAS they started to bring in some serious amounts. I threw supers on quite a few hives. Looking forward to inspections and treatments tomorrow and see what they have done in the last week.
 
#25 ·
The Goldenrod has been in bloom here in southeast Ohio since the beginning of August which is several weeks early, however the lack of good rains has kept the nectar flow to a minimum, lots of pollen though. I am thankful for whatever the bees can get access to......Bill
 
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T
#28 ·
Intheswamp: Don't feel too bad about your question--I thought it and just didn't ask it. And I've been gardening North and South for about 60 years. Just not at the same time, so never paid attention to fall blooms being earlier in the North. Thanks for being the "dunce" and enlightening (I bet) a lot of people in the process!
 
H
#30 ·
I find the information interesting, here in central Florida my last year notes were that the Golden rod was in full bloom at the end of October and stopped by the end of November. I looked at the lot near me and the Goldenrod is not yet full grown this year.
I wounder if it is a day length thing? Day length in the North is very different then in the South.
 
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