Nature Notes
Goldenrods Are Indication That Summer Is Winding Down
By Patricia Martin

You know that it's late in the summer, not only because we're all trying to pack too much into a short period of time, and going a bit nuts doing it, but because the asters and goldenrods are blooming, and right now they're blooming in abundance. Some people cringe at the mention of goldenrod, as they think of allergies, sneezing, and stuffy heads, but contrary to popular idea, goldenrods cause little of the hay fever symptoms from which people suffer.

Little of the pollen from goldenrod gets into the air, as the pollen is relatively heavy. Instead of the pollen being carried by the wind to cross pollinate, the lovely golden heads of this showy flower attract bees and other insects, which do most of the pollination. While people might be sensitive to the pollens, they probably will not come into contact with it, as long as they don't stick their noses into a bunch of the flowers. The reason for these flowers getting blamed for allergies, is that at the same time that they bloom, another, much less showy, plant is also flowering, sending its wind-borne pollens into the air. This plant is ragweed, and the other day I noticed a mass of it growing and blooming in the unused portion of the turnout next to the 4-H barn. (By the way, the ragweed was looking very healthy).

Goldenrod

Goldenrod is truly a North American plant, as there are only a few species growing outside of the United States and Canada, and most of those in Mexico. There are some in Europe, but most of those are cultivars that have been imported to gardens. On Mackinac, there are at least a half dozen species of this plant, some of which many people would not recognize as goldenrod. Most people are familiar with the tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima) , which grows in open, dry places, or the Canada goldenrod (S. canadensis), which looks quite similar, but there also are goldenrods who live in the rich woods, like one of my favorites, the zigzag goldenrod (S. flexicaulis) or the hairy goldenrod (S. hispida), which grows in open dry woods or rocky slopes in areas rich in limestone. There are even goldenrods that live living in wet areas, such as the Ohio goldenrod, which likes bogs, wet meadows, and sandy shores. Here at Mackinac, we find it in the calcareous fens along the east shore, and at Lone Lake.

There is a special and protected species (it's listed as a threatened species) of goldenrod that grows on the Island, known as Houghton's goldenrod (S. houghtonii). It was discovered in 1839, when Douglas Houghton collected it as he was heading from Mackinac Island to Green Bay by rowboat, and found it somewhere on the western shore of Mackinac County. On the Island, it can be found in the same areas as the Ohio goldenrod and other calicphiles. Mr. Houghton's is considered very nearly endemic to Michigan.

The genus name of the goldenrod, Solidago, comes from the Latin word that means to make whole or to heal, because of the medicinal powers that this plant was thought to have. American Indians used the goldenrod as a component in steam baths, used to drive out pain in an ailing person. A pot of herbs, including goldenrod, was boiled, and a tent of blankets was placed over the patient and the pot, so the patient could breathe in the steam. The patient would remain there until the shaman was convinced that the pain and evil spirits had been driven out of the body. The Chippewa of our region used the root of the goldenrod to make a tea, which would help in healing lung hemorrhages, fevers, difficult labor, and other female problems. It was also used to treat ulcers and boils. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, goldenrod powder was imported to London and sold for its healing powers. Apparently it was quite expensive, selling for as much as half crown. Some species of goldenrod have also been used as astringents, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, and stimulant.

During the colonial period, the flower was dried and sold as a tea, however, there is a mold that is toxic that often grows on the flower, so this is not a great idea.

Goldenrod has made it into songs, as well. In one of my favorite folk songs, "The Witch of the Westmerland," a wounded knight casts goldenrod into a lake to make the witch appear. When she does, she heals him with goldenrod. In some of the old woodcraft books, goldenrod, particularly what is sometimes known as compass goldenrod (S. nemoralis), is used as a direction finder. It's a late-flowering species, whose bright yellow, gracefully bent flowering heads point north.

There is even a wonderful little story that describes how the goldenrod came to be. The story goes that there was an ugly old woman, who was tired and footsore, walking in the woods. She asked the trees for a walking stick to help her, but all of the trees refused. However, an old broken stick said to her, "I am old and ugly, but if I can help, please use me." When the old woman emerged from the woods, she turned into a lovely fairy. Turning to the stick, she asked what would it like more than anything in the world. It replied that it simply wanted to be loved by all children everywhere. Turning it into a lovely flower and sprinkling gold dust over it, the fairy declared that children all over the world would always love the goldenrod.

I can't speak for all children, but I am one who certainly appreciates this flower of late summer, and I hope you do, too.

Trish Martin is a year-around resident of Mackinac Island, has earned a master's degree in botany from Central Michigan University, and owns Bogan Lane Inn.