I think that your Little Lemon has given you 'babies'. My original Little Lemon is, after 4 years still 'little' but next to it is this 3 foot monster that appeared the spring following the year that I did not deadhead it. I like this offspring, but do control it's height somewhat by pinching it back. It blooms a little later than it's parent and looks pretty with the Echinacea in that bed.

If it's given me babies then it reproduced and died because that's all there is. I will be developing another garden in the next year or two so I need to find another spot for this plant until then. Or now you have me wondering, did my original plant not make the winter and what I have growing in the same area is the native goldenrod? We certainly have enough of that around here. I guess I won't know until it blooms.

I suspect that's what happened as gazania said. Many hybrid plants produce off-springs that revert to their species.

I once bought what was supposed to be Solidago "Fireworks" at a nursery. It turned out to be a much taller plant, and worse, an invasive spreader (I'm still dealing with eradicating its offspring spread through runners). I'm not sure how the nursery got its labeling mixed up.

Hybrid Solidagos (and a few species) make nice garden plants. However, beware the others. "Native" or not, they can start to take over your garden.

I love Little Lemon! If you cut it back it blooms again. Mine are blooming for their second time this year.

The Fireworks still haven't started though!

'Little Lemon' is hybridized from Solidago canadensis, an aggressive spreader and seeder, and 'Fireworks' is a form or selection of Sol. rugosa, a somewhat rapid spreader. Unless you have a large native garden, you wouldn't want either of these two native species, and likely not even then. I grow both these hybrids as well as many other species goldenrods, but it is important to keep an eye on unlabelled seedlings or offspring and yank them out if necessary.

ontnative, thanks for the info about Little Lemon. I think I'm going to rip out whatever it is I have, I just eradicated Cherry Bells and am trying to do the same with umpteen Agastache seedlings, I don't need another aggressive plant.

I can attest to S. 'Fireworks' being a rampant seeder. I have the room, but they are everywhere. Wish I knew this before planting, and I do research first, but this one was a total surprise. (Along with 'Gateway' joe pye weed.)

Interesting how different plants behave in different parts of the country/world. In my garden, I have not seen a single seedling from S. 'Fireworks' or E. 'Gateway' in the 10+ years I've grown them. I am getting ready to plant S. 'Little Lemon' if the hot weather ever lets up, but I am not overly worried about it spreading invasively by seed.

If you deadhead these after the blooms dry, you don't have to worry about seeds.

I can 100% guarantee that "Little Lemon" will bloom again after you cut the old blooms off the plant. If you cut those off before they go to seed, you won't get seeds then either.

Solidago Fireworks has a running habit. But it was advertised as a clumper when I bought it.

Try cutting it back in early summer to get blooms at shorter height.

It could be possible that a taller type of goldenrod managed to root in the crowns of your, ’Little Lemon’, and looking like a goldenrod, because it is, it was able to take over. You might have a totally different goldenrod now.

Lol! Probably so. But maybe this post will help other people.

It is funny to look back at these old threads and see we continue to experience the same challenges. Also, how 14 years ago I would have no idea about Little Lemon and Fireworks - and today my mind went instantly to “goldenrod species” and knew exactly what the issues would likely be based on that.