Goldenrod or Solidago

Goldenrod is the yellow beauty of August and September.  She has shot up unnoticed and now is just starting to bloom.  Her brilliant gold catches the eye.  She has been misaligned by many.  They believe she causes their allergy symptoms.  It is not so.  She can actually be used to alleviate them.  It is the rag weed that flings its pollen into the air that usually causes the allergies.  To have Goldenrod’s pollen assault your being you would have to stick your nose into her gorgeous blooms and breathe her in.

There are many varieties of Goldenrod in North America.  Solidago virgaurea and Solidago canadensis bare the most common.  Some have their preference in which variety they use.  Most find them interchangeable.  I refer to her most often as Solidago.  For me the name conjures Sol or sun or soul.  As many things are starting to fade in the garden she is just coming into her own.  This represents one of her healing qualities a kidney or chi deficiency. It is an emotional state. In this case it used when you have a lack of endurance, a lack of strength to persevere through difficulty, an inability to process what is necessary to get to the end. Matthew Wood states that it can be a “covenants broken” frame of mind.  A tea made from the flowers and leaves sipped for a few days should help.

Solidago actually comes from the Latin solidus + agere meaning “causes to solidify, or bring together” the lips of a wound.  It was once used effectively as a wound healer.  Today it is used for her affinity with the kidneys.  She is used for all types of urinary tract disorders including kidney and gall bladder stones.  She works great for hay fever and cat allergies where there is congestion, sneezing, running of the nose and red eyes.  She can be used for upper respiratory congestion and sore throats.  She can be effective against Candida fungus that cause yeast infections and thrush.  She also is a feminine aid for menstrual cramps, excessive bleeding and diarrhea.

Solidago, Goldenrod is worth spending the time to get to know better. Pick a bouquet.  Steep her leaves and blossoms and sip her healing sunshine into your being.