Goldenrod
The weed that gets all the blame for late summer allergy symptoms is not only an innocent bystander, but also can be helpful in allaying the associated sneezing, congestion and drainage. Goldenrod is waving its showy yellow flowers at about the same time that the sneaky ragweed flowers are blowing their pollen everywhere. As we mentioned in the Ragweed post, the pollen of goldenrod is comparatively large and sticky, and must be carried by insects among the plants. Right now is the time to grab some leaves and flowering tops of the goldenrod, chopping them up and making a bit of tincture. Chewing the edible flowers and leaves is also an option (preferred at weedom), though the taste is reminiscent of a lick of pine cone, or chewing white pine needles. This special flavor belongs to the impressive Solidago canadensis which dominates our area this time of year. In fact our drought has made it all the more prominent in appearance against a background of brown. Among the 200 or so species of the Solidago genus are some others, such as S. Vigaurea, long used as medicine in Europe, and S. odorata, which has a sweeter anise overtone. The astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy, diuretic, and anti-microbial characteristics are widely shared among the members of the Solidago genus, with each species showing its own array and proportion of active compounds. Therefore you can opt to get to know and love your own perennial goldenrod colony, or perhaps import one of a preferred flavor and potency.
Bees, butterflies, beetles and a host of other pollinators enjoy the late opportunity for feeding on the goldenrod blooms, which continue up to frost. A market for goldenrod honey has risen up. Perhaps this was originally due to the misconception that goldenrods were a big contributor to the seasonal allergies, but many of the plants’ active compounds are transferred by the bees to their product, contributing to an anti-allergy effect. “Goldenrod honey” (honey harvested in the fall when these plants predominate) is sold as such to eager buyers. In Europe, there is consternation that Solidago canadensis is an invader species, with some believing it to be harmful to the honeybees there. Our pollinator populations in flyover country, U.S.A. have long been contending with these native weeds, which certainly preceded the arrival of the honeybees. Apiarists in the U.S. regard this honey as the winter food for the bees. Many find it to be odiferous but still palatable. Others collect their marketed honey before goldenrod is blooming in profusion, and leave the dark, more pungent, fall honey for the bees to overwinter. The stronger flavor varies with the goldenrod species and the proportion of goldenrod to other fall blooms. Apiarists report that it’s harvested latest in the season, can crystallize more easily than other types, and that mead makers tend to favor it.
Our weed is among the 120 or so species of Solidago, of the family Asteraceae, While most of these originate in North and South America, some species are native to Europe and elsewhere. Some of you will have an extra job to firmly identify your local species of goldenrod. Many herbalists just don’t bother, because the major, traditional functions apply to the whole genus to some degree or other. The main issue is to make sure that you have a plant of the Solidago genus, and not Senecio, or the Packera genus which was recently split off from Senecio. These two genera include some somewhat toxic plants, ragworts and groundsels, which you should avoid chewing in food quantity, due to quite a bit of (excess) terror generated over the pyrazolidine alkaloid content. Some of these plants are used medicinally, but are not edible. Many of them smell and taste so nasty that you’d never want to consume them.
Most goldenrods grow as a single stem without branching, unless the top is lopped off, or perhaps the blooming portion at the top has ‘branches’. Ragworts or groundsels, for example Packera aurea, sometimes called lifewort, produce yellow blooms which have a more daisy-like appearance, often shooting up on stems from a group of basal leaves. Senecio jacobaea and Senecio vulgaris are two others which might cause confusion, due to the yellow blooms. but their overall appearance is much different than goldenrod. Note that many of the Senecio and Packera bloom much earlier than our Solidago species.
Solidago canadensis, the goldenrod of weedom has very fine hairs (practically invisible) on the stems, which become harder and woodier as they dry out. The leaves of this perennial weed are lanceolate, usually showing small teeth on the outer edges. They clasp the stems directly, in an alternating pattern. The upper surface of the leaves has a rough appearance from short stiff hairs that are barely visible. The softer and lighter colored leaf undersides reveal a midvein plus 2 other main veins.
Flowers emerge as a panicle, a pyramid shaped cluster at the top of this singly stemmed goldenrod plant. Small leaves may appear on the lower portion of each flowering stem.
Each tiny bloom is perhaps 3 mm. (1/8 inch), with 8-15 female ray flowers, and 3-6 central disk flowers which have both male and female parts. (These floral structures are unfortunately beyond the resolution of our phone-cams.) There may be 100 to 1300 tiny blooms on a panicle. Our goldenrods at weedom (northmost U.S. hardiness zone 6) bloom from late August to mid October frost. Your bloom times may vary, but late summer to mid-fall is usual. Goldenrods and the tall, purple flowered Ironweed are seen around our local farmers’ markets in fall flower arrangements, which we regard as another form of “using weeds and spreading seeds”. The goldenrod tops remain rather sturdy and resilient even as they dry, perhaps adding to their popularity. Seeds form within achenes, with white hairs attached to the end, which assist in dispersal by the wind or by animals.
Both humans and livestock are able to eat goldenrod in significant quantity without poisonous effects. But weed eating, or drinking the tea too late in the day will lead to increased urinary activity and bathroom trips at night. This diuretic benefit and perhaps some antispasmodic activity has inspired the use of goldenrod tea to assist in the removal of urinary stones.
Salve makers utilize mainly the top leaves and flowering portions to make a topical, pain relieving product. Such traditional use occurs around the world, and research indicates that the pain relief from Solidago species has both anti-inflammatory and nociceptive components, though there seems to be no sedation. We think that using dried and ground up plant product is the easiest way to obtain non-moldy infused oils. Strip the best leaves and the flowers from the tops of plants, and dry these parts away from sunlight. If you harvest while most of the flowers are still unopened, the drying process will produce less fluff. (Herbalists process and use the dried fluff, finding it still to be active.) While some will prefer the 4-6 week infusion process, we prefer warming the oil mixed with the dried goldenrod, filtering it out and then adding beeswax for the desired consistency, using 1 part beeswax to 7 parts infused oil.
Some herbalists combine goldenrod with other components such as St. John’s wort, for added pain relief. For irritation and pain in the mouth or throat, or to address allergic symptoms, dried goldenrod leaves and flowers can be used to make tea, and perhaps sweetened with honey if your local goldenrod tastes like ours. Tincture making is more easily done with the dried product, and using 50-70% ethanol.
We suggest that those with significant ragweed allergies collect their goldenrod shortly after a rain, dry it, and put it to use. Why? Because these two weeds often grow together. Clouds of ragweed pollen blow in the wind, and hitch a ride on the goldenrod leaves and flowers, so let the rain rinse it off for you. Goldenrod has plenty of plant flavonoids which are known to stabilize mast cells as part of their anti-inflammatory action. They prevent mast cells from releasing histamine, as well as numerous other compounds which mediate immune function, cell migration, blood vessel dilation, and secretions. By this, and other mechanisms, the goldenrod can address allergy symptoms. Goldenrod is overall a drying, astringent type of herb, and some people wish to balance it with a demulcent plant such as marshmallow. When big pharma concludes that the quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, etc., found abundantly in goldenrod, can do what they wished their cromolyn could do, you might see numerous flavonoid supplements taken off the market by pharma’s good buddies in government. Those who are ensnared by home owner’s associations and deprived of goldenrod powers, might consider importing a Japanese pagoda tree, Sophora (or Styphnolobium) japonica, and adding it to the tightly regulated landscape, so as to obtain your own mega-stash of these and related flavonoids.
The most highly studied goldenrod of Europe is Solidago virgaurea, from which hundreds of compounds have been identified and studied, among which are triterpene saponins, sesquiterpenes, polyphenolic acids, our flavonoids, essential oil components including myrcene, α-pinene, β-pinene, germacrene D, β-caryophylline, limonene and α-humulene, glycosides virgaureoside and leiocarposide, and clerodane diterpenes. Our readers across the pond may wish to peruse the European Medicines Agency assessment report on S. virgaurea Herba for human use, which is linked here.
We’ve only scratched the surface of goldenrod info with this post. On a dry weight basis, this weed contains vastly more flavonoids than the most abundant of common vegetable and fruit sources, so it’s worthwhile to become friendly with it. We’ll revisit it in the future for a deeper dive into the many uses. If you are familiar with goldenrod already, please feel free to share your perceptions and experiences of your local species.
Where We Dig
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I've been making goldenrod honey every fall the last 2 years... Adding it chopped up, leaves and flowers to the honey, but then also adding some vodka, 100 proof... I let this sit for about 6-8 weeks, then strain it out, and use medicinally for sore throats, the start of upper respiratory etc.... My family gets this for Christmas! They come back every year wanting more!
Question for you, though about a different herb: Does our native shrubby St. John’s wort, Hypericum prolificum, have any of the same properties as the European variety? Can it be substituted for traditional uses?