NY Flora Association (NYFA) Field Trip: Goldenrods of New York State

This NYFA field trip will be led by Hudsonia’s Chris Graham (Chris sits on NYFA’s Board of Directors)

The indoor portion will be held at the Bard College Field Station in Annandale, NY, and field sites will be in the eastern Catskills. Part of the field work will be on or near trails, but we’ll also likely go off-trail across moderately rugged terrain and visit one or more wetlands (rubber boots or wet feet); 9:00 am - 5:00 or 6:00 pm

Trip Description

31 species of goldenrods are currently known to grow in the wild in New York State, ranging from the extremely common to the extremely rare. We’re all generally familiar with these native plants that dot our woodlands and swamps and paint our meadows in hues of gold from mid-summer through fall. But have you ever stopped to study one up close, or observed the great variety that may be found on a single hike? Are you familiar with all the species that grow in your area? Easy to recognize as a group, these golden (and white!) friends can seem daunting to know and identify as species. But learning some key characteristics can allow you to identify most of our common goldenrods without too much trouble, and a good field guide or key, and some practice, can get you the rest of the way there.

We’ll split our time between the lab and the field in this one-day workshop. We’ll start by learning the basics of goldenrod biology and ecology and then review all the goldenrods (in two genera) known from New York State. Specimens, both pressed and dried and freshly collected, will be available for close study and practice with keying. We’ll then move to the field, where we’ll practice field-identification  and aim to see at least a dozen goldenrod species at one or more field sites.

Limit: 12 participants

Cost: NYFA Members: $30; Non-Members: $40

Visit NYFA’s event page for more information and to register