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The goldenrod is a yellow flowering plant in the Family Asteraceae. About 80 perennial species make up the genus Solidago, most being found in the meadows and pastures, along roads, ditches and waste areas in North America, and a few from Europe that were introduced some 250 years ago. Many species are difficult to distinguish. Probably due to their bright, golden yellow flower heads blooming in late summer, the goldenrod is often unfairly blamed for causing hay fever in humans. The pollen causing these allergy problems is mainly produced by Ragweed (Ambrosia sp.), blooming at the same time as the goldenrods. Actually, goldenrod pollen is too heavy and sticky to be blown far from the flowers. Furthermore, goldenrods are pollinated mainly by insects. Goldenrods are easily recognized by their golden inflorescence with hundreds of small capitula, but some are spike-like and other have auxiliary racemes. They have slender stems, usually hairless but S. canadensis shows hairs on the upper stem. They can grow to a length between 60 cm and 1.5 m. Their alternate leaves are linear to lanceolate. Their margins are usually finely to sharply serrated. Propagation is by wind-disseminated seed or by underground rhizomes. They form patches that are actually vegetative clones of a single plant.
Use and cultivation Goldenrod is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species - see list of Lepidoptera which feed on Goldenrods. Goldenrods can be used for decoration and making tea. Goldenrods are, in some places, held as a sign of good luck or good fortune; but they are considered weeds by some. Goldenrods bloom in late summer and early fall and some species produce abundant nectar when moisture is plentiful before bloom, and the bloom period is relatively warm and sunny. Honey from goldenrods often is dark and strong due to admixtures of other nectars. However when there is a strong honey flow, a light (often water white), spicy-tasting honey is produced. While the bees are ripening the honey there is a rank odor and taste, but finished honey is much milder. Garden use British gardeners adopted goldenrod long before Americans. Goldenrod only began to gain some acceptance in American gardening (other than wildflower gardening) during the 1980s. A hybrid with aster, known as x Solidaster is less unruly, with pale yellow flowers, equally suitable for dried arrangements. Solidago canadensis was introduced as a garden plant in Central Europe, and is now common in the wild. In Germany, it is considered an invasive species that displaces native vegetation from its natural habitat. Goldenrod is a companion plant, playing host to some beneficial insects, repelling some pests Industrial use Inventor Thomas Edison experimented with goldenrod to produce rubber, which it contains naturally. Edison created a fertilization and cultivation process to maximize the rubber content in each plant. His experiments produced a 12 foot tall plant that yielded as much as 12 percent rubber. The rubber produced through Edison's process was resilient and long lasting. The tires on the Model T given to him by his friend Henry Ford were made from goldenrod. Examples of the rubber can still be found in his laboratory, elastic and rot free after more than 50 years. However, even though Edison turned his research over to the U.S. government a year before his death, goldenrod rubber never went beyond the experimental stage. Cultural significance The goldenrod is the state flower of the U.S. states of Kentucky (adopted March 16, 1926) and Nebraska (adopted April 4, 1895). It used to be the state flower of Alabama, being adopted as such on September 6, 1927, but was later rejected in favour of the camellia. Goldenrod was recently named the state wildflower for South Carolina. In Sufjan Stevens' song, Casimir Pulaski Day, the narrator brings goldenrod to his girlfriend upon finding out that she has been diagnosed with bone cancer. Carrie Hamby's song, Solidago, tells the story of Thomas Edison's experiments with making goldenrod a domestic source of rubber during the 2nd world war. Species Whitehair Goldenrod High Plains Goldenrod Atlantic Goldenrod Atlantic Goldenrod Boott's Goldenrod Atlantic Goldenrod Harris' Goldenrod Atlantic Goldenrod Eared Goldenrod White Goldenrod Dixie Goldenrod Buckley's Goldenrod () Wreath Goldenrod Wreath Goldenrod Mountain Decumbent Goldenrod Limestone Goldenrod California Goldenrod Canada Goldenrod, Canadian Goldenrod Canada Goldenrod Shorthair Goldenrod Harger's Goldenrod Canada Goldenrod Salebrosa Goldenrod Canada Goldenrod Cutler's alpine Goldenrod Deam's Goldenrod Rayless Mock Goldenrod Pinebarren Goldenrod Mountain Goldenrod Zigzag Goldenrod Gattinger's Goldenrod Giant Goldenrod Clustered Goldenrod Virginia Goldenrod Guirado Goldenrod Hairy Goldenrod Hairy Goldenrod Hairy Goldenrod Hairy Goldenrod Hairy Goldenrod Julia's Goldenrod Early Goldenrod Elliott's Goldenrod Leavenworth's Goldenrod Louisiana Goldenrod Largeleaf Goldenrod Missouri Goldenrod Missouri Goldenrod Missouri Goldenrod Missouri Goldenrod Tolmies' Goldenrod Velvety Goldenrod Velvety Goldenrod Velvety Goldenrod Rocky Mountain Goldenrod, Alpine Goldenrod Arctic Goldenrod Rocky Mountain Goldenrod Manyray Goldenrod Baby Goldenrod Gray Goldenrod, American Western Goldenrod Gray Goldenrod Gray Goldenrod Anise-scented Goldenrod, Sweet Goldenrod Chapman's Goldenrod Anise-scented Goldenrod Ouachita Mountain Goldenrod Roundleaf Goldenrod Roundleaf Goldenrod Roundleaf Goldenrod Downy Ragged Goldenrod Downy Ragged Goldenrod Downy Ragged Goldenrod Small's Goldenrod Plumed Goldenrod Porter's Goldenrod Downy Goldenrod () Downy Goldenrod Downy Goldenrod Carolina Goldenrod Western Rough Goldenrod Western Rough Goldenrod Western Rough Goldenrod Western Rough Goldenrod Roan Mountain Goldenrod Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod, Rough-stemmed Goldenrod Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod Eock Goldenrod Shadowy Goldenrod Seaside Goldenrod, Beach Goldenrod Seaside Goldenrod Seaside Goldenrod Short's Goldenrod Mt. Albert Goldenrod Rand's Goldenrod Rand's Goldenrod Rand's Goldenrod Ontario Goldenrod Rand's Goldenrod Rand's Goldenrod Mt. Albert Goldenrod Dwarf Goldenrod Mt. Albert Goldenrod Mt. Albert Goldenrod Fall Goldenrod Showy Goldenrod Showy Goldenrod Showy Goldenrod Showy Goldenrod Showy Goldenrod Showy Goldenrod Nevada Goldenrod Nevada Goldenrod Nevada Goldenrod Autumn Goldenrod Blue Ridge Goldenrod Stout Goldenrod, Big Goldenrod Wand Goldenrod Twistleaf Goldenrod Bog Goldenrod Bog Goldenrod Bog Goldenrod Bog Goldenrod Bog Goldenrod Elmleaf Goldenrod Elmleaf Goldenrod Palmer's Goldenrod Elmleaf Goldenrod Threenerve Goldenrod Springflowering Goldenrod Goldenrod, Aaron’s Rod Wright's Goldenrod Wright's Goldenrod Wright's Goldenrod Natural hybrids See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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