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Drawing copyright Mark Müller
Asteraceae Family - "Canada Goldenrod, Tall Goldenrod"
Solidago comes from the Latin word solido meaning "to strengthen; to make solid" and Canadensis means "of Canada".
Tall (up to 7 feet) plants with hairy stems, generally unbranched on the lower half. Largest paired leaves grow from the middle of the stem and are quite narrow, up to 6 inches long. Undersides of the laves are also hairy. Tiny, golden-yellow flowers appear in radiating clusters at top of the plant with all flower heads on the upper side of the stem. Common throughout the Tallgrass biome and locally abundant on moist to dry open areas, especially prevalent in previously disturbed areas. It is the "weediest" of all the Goldenrod species and is actually quite rare in undisturbed prairies.
Native Americans used this plant to treat burns, made a tea from the flowers to treat fevers and snakebites. The crushed flowers were chewed for sore throats. The seeds were eaten as a survival food.
In Germany, the leaves of Canada Goldenrod are an approved remedy for use a diuretic in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the lower urinary tract. They are alos used in irragtion therapy to prevent and treat urinary and kidney gravel.
Canada goldenrod gets a bad rap when it comes to allergies; most allergies are caused by Ragweed pollen, not Goldenrod.
