Solidago canadensis is a perennial, rhizomatous (clonal) species, lacking basal leaves or with basal leaves reduced and early deciduous. It is native to eastern North America, but is cultivated and introduced in western North America. This species was introduced to Europe in the 17th century, and is now invasive (Van Kleunan and Schmid 2003). It is now a significant invasive species in China. In 2010, this species was reassessed in the province by the BC Conservation Data Centre, and most BC specimens were annotated to other species. Only a handful of specimens were determined to be Solidago canadensis.. "A specimen from a ditch in Revelstoke has been annotated as S. canadensis var. hargeri by John Semple in 2009." (Lomer, pers. comm. 2012).

General:
Perennial herb from a fibrous-rooted, creeping rhizome; stems erect, solitary, branched above, densely short-hairy above, 0.3-2 m tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking or, like the lower stem leaves, reduced and soon deciduous; stem leaves lance-linear to narrowly lance-elliptic, tapering to an unstalked base, 5-15 cm long, 5-22 mm wide, alternate, simple, sharply saw-toothed or entire, 3-nerved, glabrous to densely short-hairy or rough-hairy.

Flowers:
Heads with ray and disk flowers, numerous in a dense pyramidal inflorescence from scarcely to much exceeding the upper leaves; involucres 2-5 mm tall; involucral bracts linear-lanceolate, from somewhat to evidently overlapping, glabrous; ray flowers yellow, mostly 10-17, 1-3 mm long; disk flowers yellow.

Fruits:
Achenes short-hairy; pappus of numerous white hairlike bristles.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Flower Colour:
Yellow

Blooming Period:
Late Summer

Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Summer to Fall

Source:  The USDA

Canada goldenrod is a widespread, summer flowering species in BC. It is invasive in Europe, where it was introduced in the 17th century (Van Kleunan and Schmid 2003). Earliest observed flowering date in BC: July 10th, 2009, near Hope (personal observation).