When I was growing up, I suffered greatly from hay fever in the fall. The start of the school year invariably would see me sporting red rimmed eyes that, if not accompanied by the runny nose and sneezing, surely would have had me labeled a user of pot by those who didn’t know me well. And like most people, I blamed my suffering on the plant called Goldenrod. It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties and getting allergy shots to desensitize me from my pollen allergies that I learned the truth. It wasn’t the bright yellow Goldenrod at all but a less conspicuous plant called Ragweed that was the culprit. They both just happen to be in flower about the same time.
There are two species of Ragweed found here in the east, Great Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida) and Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia). Both are nasty buggers. Pulling them up by hand, especially the Great Ragweed, is not recommended unless you wear long sleeves and stout gloves. (Trust me on this!) Even if you are not a sufferer of hay fever, their prickly stems and leaves can leave an itching rash that you won’t soon forget!
As the eNature.com entry for Great Ragweed states, they are potent plants.
Warning This plant is a major cause of hay fever allergies, and can irritate the skin if touched. Can be toxic to livestock if ingested. (Humans should generally avoid ingesting plants that are toxic to animals.)
I think that warning says it all!
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.), however are showy wildflowers of the aster family that are a boon to insects of many types, but especially to migrating Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus), who find them one of the last of flowering plants along the trail south. There are some 170 species of Goldenrods, many of which are found in the east. They flower from early summer through October and even later as you move southward.
Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), Pine-barren Goldenrod (Solidago fistulosa), and Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) are just three of the more common species typically found in field and forest as well as along roadsides.
I was reminded of the importance of these plants to the Monarchs’ survival today when I drove to the post office and again while working in the yard. Many of the edges of the hayfields and pastures along the way to the post office and the right of way of the power line in my yard currently sport a lush growth of Goldenrod, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the Monarchs. I must have seen dozens today and all were heading south or resting to feed on the Goldenrod’s yellow flowers.
For Monarchs, Milkweed may be the nursery and larder for the caterpillar, but Goldenrod is clearly their traveling food.
(All links to eNature.com.)
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