Abstract The chemical composition of the essential oil of the aerial parts of downy goldenrod (Solidago puberula Nutt.) growing wild in the north of Quebec (Canada) was investigated for the frist time. The oil was analyzed by GC-FID and GC/MS. The main components were myrcene (53.0%), α-farnesene (10.7%), α-pinene (9.4%), (E)-β-ocimene (6.0%), and α-phellandrene (5.7%).