This species of goldenrod is so rare that it only occurs naturally in southern Indiana to northern Kentucky.

Get our free mobile app

A Rare Yellow Flower

Over the past couple of weeks, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has taken to Facebook to countdown the rarest plants that occur naturally in the Hoosier state. One plant however caught my eye because it doesn't occur naturally anywhere in the world, except in some areas of "extreme" southern Indiana and northern  Kentucky.

Short's Goldenrod

According to Nature.org the Short's Goldenrod is one of the rarest plants in the world and the history of this plant is fascinating in fact this plant was only thought to be in Kentucky and wasn't even found in Indiana until 2001.     The Short's Goldenrod is a perennial plant with bright yellow flowers.  They bloom from mid-August to early November, so if you want to try to spot one for yourself, this is the best time to look for them.

Here is what Indiana DNR had to say about this extremely rare plant:

RARE PLANTS: We conclude our series on seven of Indiana’s rarest plants with one that could be considered Indiana’s rarest plant species, Solidago shortii (Short’s goldenrod). This goldenrod occurs naturally nowhere in the world except a very small area ranging from extreme southern Indiana to northern Kentucky, where it grows in limestone glades and in limestone river scour habitats. It is state endangered, federally endangered, and considered globally critically imperiled (G1). Indiana’s lone population of this relatively small goldenrod was discovered by renowned and now retired Indiana state botanist Michael Homoya in 2001. It grows in a very unique habitat with a number of other rare species and is monitored annually by Indiana Natural Heritage Data Center Staff. In addition, Indiana DNR Division of Nature Preserves staff maintain the habitat for this species through removal of invasive species as necessary.

While there are many different species of goldenrod, the Short's goldenrod is considered one of the rarest plants in the world.