Goldenrod

Solidago canadensis

Also: Solidago virgaurea, Solidago spp., Woundwort

WarmingDryingTonifying

Dries a drippy nose and keeps the urine flowing clean.

Late-summer plumes of tiny golden flowers on tall stems, humming with bees, over fields that are turning brown. Goldenrod dries a dripping nose and streaming eyes, flushes the urinary tract, helps prevent stones, and soothes sore muscles from the outside.

Energetics: Warming, drying, toning
Taste: Aromatic, bitter, astringent
Family: Asteraceae (daisy family)
Parts used: Leaves and flowering tops

Medicinal uses 5

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Traditional useLab and mechanism studiesClinical studies

Seasonal allergiesTLC
Its astringency and antihistamine action dry up drippy noses and weepy eyes.
Bladder irritationTLC
Flushes the urinary tract and acts against bacteria as its oils pass through.
Kidney stones & gravelTLC
A strong diuretic that helps prevent stones and wash out small gravel.
Sinus congestionTLC
Helps clear congested, dripping sinuses.
Bruises & sore musclesTLC
Infused in oil and rubbed in, it eases sore muscles, a stiff lower back, and bruises.

Preparations

Hay-scented tea, tincture, allergy blends, and infused oil for sore muscles.

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Cautions

People allergic to daisies or chamomile occasionally react to it.
Leave it out with kidney disease or when a doctor has asked you to limit fluids.
Goldenrod is insect-pollinated and rarely causes hay fever; ragweed, blooming at the same time, is the usual culprit.

Medication interactions

Practitioner Practitioners are able to see the one type of medicine flagged for goldenrod, each with the mechanism and what to do. The plain-language cautions above stay open to everyone.

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Pregnancy & breastfeeding

PregnancyInsufficient data

Little is known about goldenrod in pregnancy. Use it only with your midwife's guidance.

BreastfeedingInsufficient data

Nursing safety data are lacking; gentler, better-studied herbs are the safer choice.

Folklore

Solidago comes from the Latin for making solid, a nod to its old fame for closing wounds. In the 1500s dried goldenrod sold in London for half a crown an ounce until someone noticed it growing wild nearby. Thomas Edison bred goldenrod for its latex, hoping to make rubber, and Henry Ford gave him a Model T fitted with goldenrod tires.

How to grow

A tough perennial for sun and almost any soil, often spreading by rhizomes. Plant clump-forming species if space is tight. Cut flowering tops as the first flowers open.

In the wild

Fields, roadsides, prairies, and forest edges across North America and Europe; North America has well over a hundred species.

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