Wildflowers not reliant upon air for pollination
August 26, 2001

Whether they are considered weeds, wildflowers or accents in a garden, the familiar goldenrods brighten fields, woodlands and roadsides this time of the year.

Once maligned as the cause of hay fever, it has been shown that its heavy pollen is not airborne but depends on its brightly colored flowers to attract insects for the purpose of pollination.

Actually, a patch of plume-waving goldenrod might act as a filter cleaning the air of dust and pollen,

A goldenrod is a goldenrod and there are few people who do not recognize members of this plentiful plant, although Gray's botany lists at least 75 different species. A study of the many kinds could be a lifetime hobby.

How are they alike? Goldenrods are a member of the composite family.

Take a hand lens. Examine an individual goldenrod flower. It has both disc and ray flowers.

The disc flowers are in the business of making seeds. Ray flowers flaunt their bright banners to attract insects, and assure pollination to result in hordes of fluffy seeds.

It is said that no flower attracts more insects than goldenrod, which could lead to interesting observations of butterflies, wasps, bees, beetles, ambush bugs and colorful crab spiders. Beekeepers look forward to a harvest of goldenrod honey in the fall.

Goldenrods are native American plants, various kinds ranging from the New England states, south to Florida and west to Texas and Oklahoma. They have been imported to Europe where they are considered a garden plant.

It is told that the leaves were used as a substitute for tea after the Boston tea Party and that subsequently it was once shipped to China as a substitute for their tea.

The plant has no value as forage for animals but a number of species of birds feed on the seeds.

There are at least eight kinds of goldenrods growing along the Goldenrod Trail at Woodland Dunes.

A copy of the Roger Tory Peterson Field Guide to Wildflowers will aid in identifying them. As follows: Are the leaves parallel veined or feather veined? Are they long and narrow, or oval? Rough or smooth? Are the flowers plume like, elm branched, zig-zag, wand-like, or flat-topped?

Whatever the arrangement, the florets are the same combination of ray and disc flowers arranged in a variety of groups.

Where allowed, the blossoms can be cut when first in bloom and hung upside down to dry to a golden-greenish yellow, or picked when they have turned to a warm, fuzzy silvery-tan.

The flower heads make wonderful winter bouquets.

Even after the seeds have flown the flower heads remain studded with tiny silver stars.

Goldenrod galls, caused by insects that lay eggs on the stems causing deformed stems may also be added to winter bouquets.

Now is the time to walk the Woodland Dunes Goldenrod Trail and become acquainted with flowers for which it is named.