This is a lovely, late-blooming perennial, well suited to a shrub, perennial, or ornamental grass border. 'Crown of Rays' is a clump-forming goldenrod hybrid featuring tiny, bright yellow flowers borne in dense, horizontal, plume-like panicles on the ends of upright, stiff, alternate-leaved stems growing to about 2 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. Long mid-summer to fall bloom period. Attractive to bees and butterflies. Good cut flower. This cultivar is also known as 'Strahlenkrone'.
Grow in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. A woodland species that tolerates poor, dry soils and light shade, but performs best in full sun. Will grow in clay soils. Drought and deer resistant; attracts butterflies. Useful for erosion control. Has been wrongly accused of causing hay fever which is actually an allergic reaction caused by wind-borne pollen from other plants such as ragweed.