Just like goldenrods (Solidago sp.), narrowleaf yellowtop (Flaveria linearis) is a golden flowered fall-bloomer. Its canary yellow flowers are held in flat clusters (corymbs). Like goldenrod, narrowleaf yellowtop is a member of the daisy family, Asteraceae. Yellowtop flowers for the most part have only the disc part of the “daisy”, and one ray (the petal part of the daisy).
Yellowtop grows to be 1 – 3′ tall, often in showy masses. It is mostly a coastal plant of peninsular Florida and re-seeds readily.
In the fall you’ll find masses in the swales behind the dunes at Sebastian Inlet State Park …
… and at Captain Forster Preserve …
Its genus names Flaveria means yellow, and its species name linearis means linear referring to the shape of the leaves. Older stems sometimes are reddish in color.
When in flower, narrowleaf yellowtop always is abuzz with pollinators of all sorts and sizes: Butterflies, moths, flies, wasps, and bees including European honeybees (Apis mellifera) …
Its fruit is a tiny achene, a dry “seed”, and it re-seeds freely and readily …
It is a subtle sign of fall in Florida, shown below on 10-8-2023 at Pelican National Wildlife Refuge.
Enjoy the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area 