Please read on, and please forget about the common golden rod with shouty, chrome yellow flowers invading every corner of your patch and elbowing out the treasures. This is a totally different ball game – a distinctly different variety and once you’ve got it you’ll be happy to keep it!
First off, this one does not spread as does the species. Second, this plant is subtle. Third, it’s very good for cut flowers and it’s drought resistant! You want more? ‘Loysder Crown’ has a long season of interest from July until the autumn: it starts with interesting limey green buds (see image below) which are followed by wide, rounded clusters of tiny, palest lemon-yellow flowers on arching stems that attain about 1.2m – they are a magnet for all kinds of pollinators. Then come the seed heads which are very attractive to birds, and they last well into winter. Solidagos are best grown in full sun but can easily handle a bit of shade, and they are tolerant of most soils.
The last word is about its name and I’m sticking with ‘Loysder Crown’ because that was on the label when, pre-Brexit, I bought it from a visiting Dutch nursery, and I was told that it was chanced upon by cut flower grower Paul Wilmink. In those days, it was easy for such establishments to bring their wares across the channel to sell at plant fairs across the UK. Online, you will however find it spelt ‘Loydser Crown’ by many UK nurseries – it doesn’t even sound right does it?!
NB Louise has published a beautifully produced book of her plant profiles – A Plant for Each Week of the Year. It costs £9.99 and is for sale in our online shop here.
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