It's a sure sign of late summer-early autumn when the meadows turn golden with an abundance of Goldenrod! Glorious Goldenrod health benefits are many. Read on to learn some of the many possible ways to support your body with this very abundant healer!
GOLDENROD solidago canadensis (solidago spp.)
Don't worry; this glorious member of the "Aster" family ( Asteraceae), is NOT an allergen which causes seasonal hayfever. That would be ragweed, which often grows near Goldenrod and has unremarkable green flowers.
A note from herbalist, Susan Weed:
"No one is, no one can be, allergic to goldenrod pollen. Why? It has virtually none. What little pollen it makes is sticky, all the better to stick onto insects who pollinate the goldenrod. Only wind-pollinated plants -- like ragweed (Ambrosia artemisifolia), which blooms at the same time as goldenrod, and has an especially irritating pollen -- make enough pollen, and spread it widely enough, to cause allergic reactions."
How to make Goldenrod Tea:
Making a tea from Goldenrod flowers + leaves can definitely help to soothe the symptoms of allergic rhinitis ~ respiratory congestion or itchy eyes so often a big part of hayfever. For easy instructions, check out this post.
Herbalists harvest the top ½ to ⅔ of the flowering stalk ~ usually a bit more flowers to green stalks or essentially the top 25-30% of the 'above ground plant' late August to early September. I use Goldenrod in tincture and also as a warming golden tea. It's easy to make a nourishing tonic tea with Goldenrod!
I like to harvest the plant when some of the flowers are open but not all. This is called "the beginning of the flowering period". It's not necessary, but offers the medicine a fuller range of healing properties.
If using fresh, just hold the stem with the flowers pointing into a bowl and clip the flowers and leaves and compost the stems. If you want to dry some Goldenrod to enjoy tea throughout the coming fall & winter, just hang up a bunch in a cool, dry spot. I wait until the leaves are 'crispy'. When the plant material is dry, I store it in a large jar in a dark cupboard. I don't chop it up, but try to keep the leaves & flowers intact as much as possible.
Want to buy GOLDENROD medicine -- ready to use? Here's a good source for the tincture here
Please check the glossary here for a key to the terms, below.
Goldenrod health benefits 'highlights' :
As you will see, Goldenrod is a wonderful healing plant offering a long list benefits ~
GOLDENROD Primary Properties:
Anticatarrhal
antifungal
anti-inflammatory
antiulcerogenic
aperient
astringent
depurative
diaphoretic
diuretic
hemostatic/styptic
lymphatic
prostate tonic
urinary tonic
vascular tonic
vasodilator
vulnerary
HIGHLIGHTS:
Goldenrod is noted for the ability to heal respiratory tract conditions; amazing for 'upper' infectious conditions and for the coughs + colds of lower tract conditions. As an anti-allergy herb, we often include Goldenrod in an 'anti-allergy' formula, especially in autumn.
It is an amazing healer for skin or epithelial issues:bites, stings, cuts and other skin conditions, as well as internally for inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract (e.g. ulcers, colitis, diverticulitis)
Goldenrod is renowned for healing urinary tract conditions. It facilitates detoxification throughout the urinary tract.
It is excellent for prostate inflammation and for the ability to help with the elimination of uric acid. It is a helpful pain reliever, in these cases. Goldenrod contains chemicals that increase urine flow and have anti-swelling (anti-inflammatory) effects.
Goldenrod is an excellent lymphatic and depurative. It detoxes primarily through both urinary + lymphatic systems. As a detoxifying herb, as well as an anti-inflammatory, it can be very helpful in cases of gout, arthritis & joint pain.
It is used for both chronic + acute inflammation of lymph nodes as well as edema.
It is also a mild bitter and cholagogue so is extremely supportive for liver health.
Goldenrod is a very good diaphoretic ~ supports good peripheral circulation.
as well as excellent vascular tonic (which supports heart health and cardiovascular system health)
It should be noted that, for each of the situations described above, Goldenrod will often be combine with other healers to make a specific formula for the situation and for each individual. Goldenrod as a 'simple' (i.e. taken alone, as a tea, in the above dose), is, however, a great way to jump onto a healing path. Consult with a respected herbalist for specific formulas.
As always: these ideas are my opinions only and should not be taken as ANY sort of medical advice.
As with many herbs, the constituents present, offer a wide variety of healing attributes. We often look to the "primary healing properties" as they are the strongest healing categories. Most herbs, however, have such a wildly wide range of helping properties, that are still very present and can help us choose the absolute best herb to contribute to a situation. It's for this reason, I want to share some of Goldenrod's other gifts; they are a part of the herbal profile, even if they are not the first attributes that we may think of initially.
Secondary Properties:
antilithic
antineoplastic
antioxidant
antirheumatic
antispasmodic
appetite stimulant
bitter
carminative
febrifuge
hypotensive
immune stimulant
nervine
relaxant
stomachic
tranquilizer
Glorious Goldenrod benefits ~ an abundant healing plant.
Stay tuned for some more ways to find benefits for you and your family with Goldenrod medicine! Now is the time to harvest our golden girl, so do so if possible, and hang to dry.
Wishing you only great health!!
Carol
Thanks to HERBGEEK -- For the honour --
this post featured a while back as 'among the best online'
http://www.herbgeek.com/herb-geek-round-up-best-online-articles-september-2013/
Here's a pin to add to your remedies 'board'!
Want to learn more about HOW to increase you and your family’s health?
Want to learn some DIY herbal remedies ?
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Rhapsodie
Thanks Carol, Am presently boiling lots of goldenrod in water, in order to make a concentrate which will be added to vinegar &/OR alcohol for a shelved preserved treatment. What's interesting is how the air feels around me because my lungs & throat have stopped aching as much AND my head feels so clear.
While this throat & pain relief, also happens for some time, like 2 to 4 hours with consuming some goldenrod, the air in the house changes feel GREAT. So I am thinking it has other steaming use values for others also. Plus it could be that it reduces air environment issues in other situations. My home has mold issues & being in the country without HVAC the fresh air also has pollens.
Thanks again,
Rhapsodie
Carol Little
Thanks for the feedback!! How wonderful!! May you continue to enjoy Goldenrod and do let me know what else you discover/experience!!!
Donny
You have no idea what perfect timing this is. My allergies are driving me crazy right now. I am definitely checking this stuff out!
Carol Little
Hope it is helpful. Please reach out if you want some more ideas!
Jean Choi
I always learn so much about your about different herbs! Never tried this one and I'm excited to check it out.
David M Pelly
I have been making my own Golden Rod Tea for about 6 yrs. It has to be harvested at the most mature point, before the flowers turn to seed, for best results. I look for and chose the healthiest plants I can find,..... that is the ones with no signs of disease. I pick the entire plant. I cut it off near the bottom, at the point where the good healthy leaves end. Then dry the entire plant. When fully dry, I crush it up to make tea. I make enough to last me until next season. I make a lot of it. I put it jars with a good air tight cover, to keep it fresh.
I find Golden Rod tea to be an amazingly powerful diuretic. Extremely effective in cleansing the body.
I usually drink a litre or two of Golden Rod tea a day.
I make a very strong batch of about two litres. A good cup of tea leaves to two litres of water.
I bring the water to a boil, remove from heat.
Add a cup or so of Golden Rod tea leaves, (do not stir tea leaves into water) and cover and let sit and steep for an hour or so, until the tea leaves have sunk to the bottom. Then I strain the tea leaves from the tea and put the tea in the fridge. Two litres lasts for a long time, so it has to be stored at near freezing temperature, to keep it from going sour. When I put it on the top shelf of my fridge,at the back, some ice forms in it. That is just right.
That is my Golden Rod tea concentrate.
Then I add a couple ounces of the concentrate to a litre of my drinking water. I find that works very well for me. It is very powerful stuff and very little of the active ingredients are required to get the desired results. Just enough to colour the water a bit. It helps a lot for prostate problems.
At least, that has been my experience.
That is what works for me. Figure out what works for you.
Carol Little
Thanks so much for sharing!
Ken
My Grandfather harvested Goldenrod as long as I can remember. After a time of drying the Goldenrod, he would put some in a boiler and allow to simmer. He would drink a little at night before bed, often if not nightly. He would refrigerate the rest for future use. He lived to be 98 years old and did not take any medications to my knowledge. I also don't recall him having prostate or urinary problems, that I was aware of. My mother said that he referred to it as "the cream of life". I recently started using Goldenrod similar to how he did because of prostate issues. I am hoping it helps..... it is too early to say definitively, but so far....I am encouraged..
Carol Little
Thanks so much for sharing Ken!
Lucy Litteral
I picked what I thought to be Goldenrod, not yet bloomed. It looked to me just like the blooming plant with the same leaves (lanceolate in configuration). In the back of my mind I am still second guessing myself. HELP!
Carol Little
HI there Lucy. I would look at your field guide for verification but best to use Goldenrod when in bloom, in any case.
The flowering tops are the part we use for medicine -- along with some leaves.. but when the plant is in flower.
Debbie White
Hello. I have this strange flare-up of high blood pressure late August and early fall and I think it is caused by a weakness in the kidneys. I started taking goldenrod, following the recipe above, for several years now. I have tried essential oils and tinctures but they do not work as well as fresh goldenrod. So my comment is to try goldenrod for high blood pressure before taking pharmaceutical medications from the doctor. I use the doctor as my last resort.
Carol Little
Thanks for sharing Debbie!
Jonnie
Are we supposed to swallow the chopped flowers & leaves as we drink the tea, or should they be strained out? Would the plant benefit UTI more if swallowed?
Carol Little
Hello Jonnie. It's just fine to strain the liquid through a sieve into another jar or into your cup and drink. The healing attributes of Goldenrod medicine will be in the liquid. Thanks for your question. Carol
Susanne Runion
I had no idea goldenrod had so many uses. This is such great information.
carollittle
Thanks Susanne for stopping by! Herbs are like that.. I could have written pages about Goldenrod but,
Since my blog is for 'busy women' on the go… I try to keep the posts 'digestible'
carollittle
Thanks for stopping by Susanne ~ Love sharing about our green world!
Joy M
Finally, a plant I know and can recognize without a doubt AND grows abundantly in my area! (I won't tell anybody I just cut a bunch out of my weedy flower bed and..... threw it away!) Now I am going to go out farther on our property and HARVEST some. THANK YOU for the great information!
Sure hope this isn't like other plants I have now found a use for like stinging nettle. It seems once I find out it's useful and go looking THEN it disappears. If I don't know it's useful there's great abundance. Can someone tell me how that happens?
carollittle
I hear you.. I have had that experience over the years too.. You won't have that issue with GoldenRod though…
Very abundant plant.. and so very healing -- tea and tincture
Happy harvesting. Remember to be thankful. Good wishes .. and thanks for the laugh!
Megan Stevens
Thank you for an introduction to this lovely healing herb!! :)
carollittle
You are very welcome, Megan! I hope that you'll stop by again and leave a comment.
GOLDENROD is a special herb. (oh dear.. I tend to say that about most! LOL)
linda spiker
I still don't know a whole lot about herbs. Thanks for the great information !
carollittle
Thanks for your comment Linda! Passionate about sharing all about herbs -- and excited to share with you!
Rachel @ day2dayjoys
Thanks for all the informative benefits in this post. I have been wanting to make my own tea but haven't gotten around to it yet.
carollittle
You are so welcome Rachel. Thanks for your comment!
Anna@Green Talk
Just planted it in my garden and hope it doesn't bully its way around my other plants.
krysia
it will. It spreads through long, horizontal roots. I wouldn't plant it - or - for example - mugwort around plants you want to keep.
Jessica @ConveyAwareness
Herbs are so Greek to me, but I know several natural birthing professionals that would like this information so I'm pinning to share with them. =)
carollittle
Super -- thanks Jessica. Love to share with as many folks as is possible!
Jessica
We just picked some to tincture. Great post.
carollittle
Great Jessica. Please pick some to dry for infusions too.. Thanks!