Plant Camp Monday's

Oh this next plant you might not like but rest assure this is not the culprit of allergies in the fall.

Goldenrod Solidago sp.

I love this plant, tells me that fall is almost here. A host to so many beneficial insects. Its the last big flower show of the season and blooms from summers end tell frost.







Poor Goldenrod gets the blame for hay fever sufferers when the real culprit is ragweeds (Ambrosia sp.) that bloom at the same time.

Here's what happens. Ragweed needs wind to pollinate so it sends out billions of pollen hope'n to find a female flower. The bad part our noses are in the way.

These ragweeds don't have a pretty showy flowers so we tend to blame the Goldenrod for this suffering. We see that showy Goldenrod flower and point fingers and whip noses.

Because the makeup of the goldenrod pollen grains are fat and sticky so they will stick to insects for pollination from one plant to another. So in order to get affected by Goldenrod pollen you would have to stick you nose in the stuff. Hachoo

Along with the many insects that visit the Goldenrod there are two different types of insects that are parasites that uses the Goldenrod for a host plant, they make their homes on the stems and are called galls.

Here's a nice group of Goldenrod, be sure to look at them differently now , they are very pretty.

http://www.google.com/images?rlz=1T4TSHB_enUS312US313&q=goldenrod&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=Rf96TMSuIouLnQeuzqiWCw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CEYQsAQwAw

Also Goldenrod is medcinal, here's an informative link.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/goldenrod-000251.htm

Well I sure hope I changed your mind on this plant and lets go after that ragweed.

Have you notice the weeks flying by? I sure have. I'm just about ready to decorate for Autumn.

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by the camp

tc linda