Canada goldenrod (Plants of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque)

Canada goldenrod

Solidago canadensis

Summary ⁷

Solidago canadensis is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae and is commonly known as Canada goldenrod, Canadian goldenrod, or tall goldenrod here in the Bosque. It plays an important role in the ecosystem of the Bosque as a source of nectar to bees and has been used by humans for centuries as medicine.

Botanical Information ⁸

Solidago canadensis is commonly known as Canada goldenrod or Canadian goldenrod. It is an herbaceous perennial plant of the family Asteraceae. It is native to northeastern and north-central North America, including New Mexico. The Canadian goldenrod is most commonly recognized by its bright yellow flowers on the tip of the plant as well as its long green stem that is covered in darker green leaves. Some ways you can tell if a plant is a goldenrod is by looking for the long stem, the spearhead shaped leaves, and the cluster of yellow blooms at the top of the plant.

Ecological Information ⁸

Solidago canadensis plays a nice little role in nature. The goldenrod provides pollen and nectar to bees, this helps bees survive and take pollen to other plants so they can grow too. The goldenrod is also grazed by cattle, sheep, horses, and deer. The goldenrod grows pretty much everywhere in the U.S. it can be found from roadsides and railroads to prairies and thickets. Here is in the Bosque, it is found growing in moist, sandy soils.

Ethnobotanical Information ⁸

This plant is also very helpful to humans, as it can be used as medicine. Many Native Americans have used this plant for medicine. They would use it to treat arthritis, gout, allergies, colds, flu, inflammation of the bladder or urinary tract, kidney stones, eczema, and minor wounds. (Note: Ethnographic reports often lack important contextual information and relevant traditional ecological knowledge.) Blooming around the same time as ragweed, another member of the Asteraceae family, goldenrod is often blamed for causing allergies, however, it is insect-pollinated and not a source of pollen that causes hay fever. On the contrary, goldenrod is used to alleviate allergy symptoms with its anti-inflammatory and decongestant action on the upper respiratory tract.

References ⁹

Blau, Kathryn. “Goldenrod: the Bee's Knees.” Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, 27 June 2018, chestnutherbs.com/goldenrod/.
“Plants Profile for Solidago Canadensis (Canada Goldenrod).” Welcome to the PLANTS Database | USDA PLANTS, plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=SOCA6.
“Solidago Canadensis.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Sept. 2018, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidago_canadensis.
Bosque Field Guide
Cartron, Lightfoot, Mygatt, Brantley, Lowrey. (2008). A Field Guide to the Plants and Animals of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque. (p. 67). New Mexico, University of New Mexico Press.

About the Author ⁸

Student author(s)*: Xavier Johnson (11th grade) from Menaul High School.

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

(c) Jkadavoor (Jee), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jkadavoor/5366557428/
(c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/36477176002/
(c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/34316225725/
(c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/30336999741/
(c) Steve Chilton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/73779416@N00/1023406994
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidago_canadensis
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

Range Map

iNat Map

Color	yellow
Type	herb
Uses	medicinal

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