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Tall goldenrod produces a lot of nectar and pollen, like all goldenrods, and
is thus very popular with bees and nectar-gathering flies. Yellow crab
spiders like to hang out in the flowers hoping to catch a bee or fly.
The species is also popular with certain insects that lay their eggs on the
stem. The larvae hatch and begin to eat their way into the stem.
The plant responds by creating a thick-walled swelling called a gall that
walls off the offending insect, and incidentally gives it plenty of plant
material to munch on. These galls are visible on affected plants as
swellings in the otherwise narrow stems.
Tall goldenrod likes open areas, fields, prairies, roadsides
and open woods. It can thrive in disturbed areas, which makes it a
weedy species. It occurs naturally from British Columbia to New
Brunswick, south to Florida and the Gulf Coast states, and west across the
plains and prairies to Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. It
has spread as a weed to California, Utah, Arizona, and Europe.
The genus name, Solidago, comes from the Latin
solidus, meaning "whole" and "-ago" meaning "becoming."
This probably refers to reputed healing properties of some of the Eurasian
species, which were supposedly good for healing wounds. The species name,
altissima, is less interesting; it simply means "very tall."
Many people despise goldenrods, believing they are allergic
to the pollen and that the plant makes them miserable every fall. In
fact, the perpetrator of their misery is most likely ragweed, another
composite that is not at all showy and easily overlooked, but which blooms
at the same time as goldenrods do.
Ragweeds are pollinated by the wind, and so produce huge clouds of pollen
which drift from plant to plant. When they reach the noses of
sensitive people, their immune systems mount a panic response that attempts
to wash away any traces of the pollen by watering of the eyes, leaking of
the nose, and sneezing. Goldenrods, in contrast, are pollinated by
insects. They have showy masses of flowers, not to please us, but to
attract bees and flies, and they produce nectar to feed their pollinators.
Quite sensibly their pollen is heavy and cannot easily blow away to our
noses, and is also sticky to better cling to the insects.
Now that you are assured that tall goldenrod will
not make you sneeze, enjoy the beauty of its blossoms, and look
sharp for its many insect and spider visitors. Look for galls
on the stems, watch the variety of insects that visit the flowers,
and keep your eyes peeled for lurking spiders hoping to catch an
unlucky fly or bee.
GGC |
