Behold the Goldenrod

by Soňa Mason, WWRP Board Member

We’re approaching the time of year when it’s hard to ignore the blaze of yellow sweeping across wild fields. Goldenrods are queueing up for their time to shine. Most of the goldenrods you see growing in sunny areas are Wrinkleleaf and Canada Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa and S. canadensis). These strong plants are great for taking back fields that used to be full of invasive weeds because they spread quickly and can grow in many different conditions. But in gardens, they can grow too tall and take over. Luckily, there are other types of goldenrods that work better in gardens, like Showy, Stiff, Seaside, and Grassleaf Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa, S. rigida, S. sempervirens, and Euthamia graminifolia).

Got shade? There’s a goldenrod for that – in fact more than one. Enter the diminutive the Blue-stemmed, Zigzag, and Anise-scented Goldenrods and Silverrod (Solidago caesia, S. flexicaulus, S. odora & S. bicolor).

But you may wonder: aren’t goldenrods responsible for those late-summer allergies? Let us clear that up. If ever there was a plant wrongly accused, it’s this one. Goldenrod takes the blame for the real culprits: mugwort and ragweed (Artemisia vulgaris and Ambrosia artemisiifolia), non-native plants that resemble goldenrods—except for one key difference: they don’t have colorful flowers. Why? Because they’re wind-pollinated. Their pollen is light and shaped like a tiny grappling hook under a microscope—perfect for catching even the slightest breeze, making its way into your nose, and irritating your mucous membranes.

On the other hand, plants which expend the extra energy to attract pollinators with color, scent and nectar have heavy, sticky pollen that needs to lodge onto an insect’s body to be transported to another flower. Take a closer look and you’ll see their bright yellow flower spikes positively vibrating with a “pollinator-fest”. Pollen-rich goldenrods provide bees and other insects with their last meal before winter hibernation, giving them the energy to survive the cold months and a strong start in building new colonies the following spring—just in time for the arrival of migrating birds.

Not only that, but as native pollinator plants, they do so much more than just ordinary (and often nonnative) flowers. Their stems feed and shelter many species of insect larvae too.

So, cheerfully pair your goldenrods with those other show-masters of late summer, the purple-blue asters, for a final flourish of the growing season.