Aaron’s Rod, Blue Mountain Tea, Goldruthe, Solidago, Woundwort

Goldenrod - (Solidago spp.) includes hundreds of species native to North America and parts of Europe. It’s a pollinator favorite and thrives wherever it grows. Goldenrod is a member of the Sunflower family, Asteraceae, preferring damp meadows and fields, waterways and open areas not too wet or too dry. Goldenrod can grow to be up to 7 feet tall, recognized by its characteristic lacy golden flowers that bloom mid-summer to fall. It might be due to these late blooms that Goldenrod is often wrongly accused of triggering hayfever. Goldenrod grows near and blooms at the same time as the real culprit, Ragweed, a much less visible plant that spreads its pollen on the air. On the contrary, Goldenrod has frequently been used to help support a healthy respiratory system through the allergy season! Goldenrod has a long history of medicinal uses, many originating with Native Americans who used it internally for respiratory, urinary and digestive health, as well as topically for wound healing. Goldenrod can be steeped as tea, tinctured or infused in honey or oils.