That’s the name in my old dog-eared Peterson’s guide. But things change and this is now known as Squarrose Goldenrod reflecting the latin- Solidago squarrosa. Goldenrods are a genus I haven’t really spent much time keying before, so this had me confused between Squarrose and Showy. There are small differences like the leaf margins and bracts along with ray count that are the hints in the field. I know that now but didn’t in the field. Years back, I would carry a few field guides in my pack, but the added weight is now a bit taxing, so I try to get images of all the key features to ID at home. It’s a given that I will miss something and, in this case, I missed the margins.
Anyway, the mystery is solved. This was the most developed and showiest of the plants.
Most of the plants were a single stem.
The ray count varies, with the Showy only having 5 or 6 and the Stout/Squarrose as many as 16.
And…goldenrod does not cause sneezing. It gets a bad rap, I’ve heard it since I was a child in the Adirondacks, but ragweed is the problem plant. Goldenrod does not emit pollen into the air.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
This is an old medicinal plant in Scandinavia. Nice photos.
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The genus name reflects that medicinal use. The word is a compound of solidus, meaning “solid” in the sense of ‘whole, healthy,’ and ago, which is Latin for ‘I make’ (think about the words agent and agenda).
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Thanks, Bente.
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Beautiful; photos of the Goldenrod.. I really like this wildflower. Excellent source of nectar for the various pollinators. I wish more folks could learn that ragweed is a major culprit for allergens in the Fall. Such misguided information continues to abound.
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Yup. There are still folks claiming goldenrod makes them sneeze. I suppose in some cases there may be some allergies related to being outdoors and close to plants that give people a hard time, but it isn’t pollen related as goldenrod does not use the wind to spread their pollen. Lots of other stuff floating around out there besides ragweed, but goldenrod pollen isn’t one of them.
Thanks, Yvonne.
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For the record, again. 🙂 I have been reading the blogs that I follow so I decided to give my password a try but I asked for a new one. Instead I was instructed to enter my password and I did and low and behold the dang thing let me in. I am puzzled but, this is “plum” crazy. Now I’m wondering how long WP is going to behave. 🙂
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It may have been a bug in the system, Yvonne. I’ve had that happen with my email account and FB. Sometimes all it takes is a restart of the computer and other times patience while it sorts itself out. Whatever it was, I am glad that you are back. 🙂
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Yay, yellow. None of the goldenrods I’ve seen around Austin has put out flowers yet, but I’ve noticed a few stray plants that were headed in that direction. As for the allergenic ragweeds, I’ve encountered two species that are already flowering and whose pollen is therefore going into the air and into our nasal passages and eyes.
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The bulk of our goldenrod is past and turned brown, but there are still colonies of yellow here and there depending on the ecology of that particular area. The ragweed, however, is going great guns. I am fortunate, to this point, to never had an allergy but have known enough people who do to appreciate the discomfort and, in some cases, dangers they present.
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Lovely~I don’t think we have that one here or else I’ve confused it with another. We do have large stands of the Showy at Illinois Beach. They bloom along with the last of the Liatris and the beginnings of the asters, so purple and gold everywhere. A gorgeous last banquet for the butterflies.
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Showy and Squarrosa are very easily confused on first glance, Melissa. It appears to stop short of your neighborhood, but there could be a few vanguard individual trying to move in. Be on your guard. 🙂
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=SOSQ
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I will indeed~forewarned is forearmed 🙂
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I just went to your link~isn’t it something how it just stops short of IL like that? And I looked at the margins that you mentioned. Very good, I’ll be on the look out now.
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I like the way you zoom in Steve. Very nice. I suffered terribly from hay fever as a child but grew out of it. I can’t imagine being a botanist or flower photographer and not being able to cope with pollen.
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Thanks, Andrew. I think I will try this more often to display the plants’ beauty at different perspectives. As I mentioned to Steve, I’ve been fortunate to never experience such things, but those who do have my complete empathy. Gasping for breath is something I’ve experienced and it’s no fun.
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Goldenrod is vibrant here lately. Regular and ample late summer rains have helped it. The past two days gave us 1.72″. Today broke clear and bright. We will be going for a walk and will see more of the plants.
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I wish a little of that rainfall would find its way here, Jim. I hope that you and Melanie enjoyed your walk.
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We did. It was about 3 miles, sunny, and 55.
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I was gone all weekend, and I’m just getting caught up. I looked for goldenrod, but didn’t see any. It’s a little early. This is beautiful, and I’m glad to be reminded again that it’s not the culprit for my fall allergies. “Hay fever” in my case was more related to true hay and corn pollen, but ragweed still does it. The pollen from the Ashe juniper is the worst. “Cedar fever” can bring on an actual fever, and it’s just miserable.
But your goldenrod is beautiful. I like the different views, and really don’t have a favorite. They’re all nice. The color is so rich, and the profusion of rays is delightful. It makes me even more eager to see it here.
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We have a little goldenrod growing in the yard here, although not this species. Mary Beth isn’t a fan and pulls up much of it, but she does save a few stands for me to explore. It tends to spread and take over, so I guess I don’t blame her. At least she does tolerate the milkweed and boneset.
I have always been thankful for no allergies and feel sorry for those who do suffer from them. Are you able to take any meds that reduce the effect?
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