Goldenrod, or Solidago spp.
Introduction
Goldenrod is a common field plant, abundant along the edges of roads and preferring open sunny areas. It is a flowering plant, which means it belongs to the group of plants that produces flowers and then develops fruits. There are many different species of goldenrod and many of them are hard to distinguish from each other. Goldenrod is native to Nova Scotia and provides brilliant yellow and greens to our late summer landscape.
Appearance and Habitat
Goldenrod grows to be about six feet tall. Each leaf is narrow and about 5-10 cm long. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem. In August, the plant produces hundreds of tiny yellow flowers in a group at the top of the stem. These flowers provide nectar for many bees at the end of the season when not very many plants are flowering. After pollination, the flowers develop into tufted seeds that are blown by the wind and carried to new locations.
Special Relationships
Goldenrod has an interesting interaction with an insect called the “goldenrod gall fly”. These flies lay eggs in the stems of the goldenrod. The stem forms a “gall” which is a round swelling around the eggs and protects them as they develop. They don’t emerge from the gall until the following spring. When the goldenrod is flowering, you should go and see if you can find any galls. Cut one off the stem with scissors and open it. See if you can find insects inside.
Like most plants, goldenrod also has an important relationship with mycorrhizal fungi, which provide it with hard to find nutrients.
Interesting Fact
Goldenrod blooms in later summer/early fall and is often blamed for seasonal allergies like hay fever. But goldenrod, in fact, very rarely causes allergies. Most plants cause allergic reactions due to the pollen they release into the air. Pollen is the part of the plant that triggers the immune system reaction that we experience as itching, runny noses and sore throats. Usually people have allergies to pollen from plants that are pollinated by the wind. This is because the pollen is released in abundance to the air, so that it will encounter the female flowers of the same species. But goldenrod is pollinated by bees and butterflies and their pollen is not released into the air. Most of the seasonal allergies that occur in later summer are caused by the pollen of a different common plant, ragweed, which is wind-pollinated.
Human Use
Goldenrod leaves can be used to make a medicinal tea. You can use fresh or dried leaves and steep them in hot water. Goldenrod tea works well to dry up mucus when you have a runny nose or sinus infection. It makes breathing through your nose much easier. This can make it much easier to fall asleep.
In some places, goldenrod is sold in upscale flower boutiques as an exotic cut flower!
Biomimicry
Scientists inspired by the unique abilities of certain organisms often try and create inventions based on those unique abilities: this is called biomimicry.
Living cells are often damaged by ice crystals formed during a freeze. The goldenrod gall fly larvae actually survive a full winter of freeze and thaw cycles. Scientists are trying to understand and mimic the abilities of the gall fly cells to survive freezing.
Scientific Name
Goldenrod is known scientifically as Solidago.
~Monica Schuegraf
