T hrough the Lens

through the lens

Photographs from Michigan gardeners

“Backyard bike fence,” photographed by Lisa DeLuca.

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“This fox kit appeared in my garden before Memorial Day along with her parents and five other siblings.” —Darlene Baird

Goldenrod

This native perennial delivers a glorious grand finale

With its reputation as a weed, one might wonder who would intentionally grow goldenrod in a garden. But an ever-increasing number of gardeners, horticulturists and naturalists are doing just that. Goldenrod is finally getting the recognition it deserves as a beautiful ornamental for the late summer and early autumn garden.

Fortunately, the myth that goldenrod causes hay fever has finally been dispelled. Goldenrod has been maligned as the source of allergens causing hay fever—the congestion, sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes some people experience during August and September. The real culprit is airborne pollen from the inconspicuous flowers of Karen ragweed plants which Bovio bloom at the same time. In fact, goldenrod pollen is too heavy to be airborne. It is carried by insects, who consume the pollen and may disperse it on their bodies as they forage for nectar. Gardeners interested in attracting pollinators know that goldenrod provides nourishment for a great many beneficial insects.

Goldenrod in the wild

Goldenrod is a descriptive common name, and even non-gardeners can usually identify it in fields and along roadsides. Goldenrod is a member of the large aster family. There are over 100 species, most of them North American. The goldenrod genus Solidago was recently broken up into several genera, with some species now assigned to Euthamia, Oligoneuron, and a few others, which can be confusing when researching goldenrods. A walk through a Michigan field in late summer will reveal a great diversity of goldenrods, nearly all of which have yellow to golden flowers (there is one white-flowered species). Based on the species, the inflorescences may be triangular, broad, narrow, even wire-like, to rounded and flat-topped. Plants may range ‘Fireworks’ (Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’)

in height from 2 to 6 feet. Goldenrods of one type or another, including naturally occurring hybrids between species, can be found across all of the U.S. and Canada. Although most grow in sunny fields and meadows, goldenrods can be found in many environments, including marshy thickets, swampy bogs, and even in arid mountainous regions.

Development of garden varieties

Because of their wide adaptability and flowering at a time of year when few other perennials bloom, you might expect the goldenrods to achieve great popularity. But goldenrod suffers from a Rodney Dangerfield reputation: it doesn’t get much respect, no doubt

due to its ubiquitous presence and brash color. Unsurprisingly, it was in Europe, where only a few species of goldenrod are native, that the horticultural potential of these plants was recognized. The earliest goldenrod hybrids were made by Europeans working with North American species. Goldenrod varieties were also developed for the cut-flower market for use as a filler flower in bouquets. It was not until native-plant gardening came into vogue that American gardeners started to take notice, paving the way for goldenrod’s acceptance as a garden plant.

Most hybridizing efforts have focused on taming goldenrod’s wild side to make it a better bedfellow. Many of our native golden

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rods grow aggressively from spreading underground rhizomes and also produce lots of fertile seeds. Wild goldenrods can quickly overtake a perennial garden if given a toehold. Therefore, a primary hybridizing goal is the creation of more compact plants with a clumping versus spreading habit. Even so, native plant enthusiasts can find plenty of unimproved, non-hybridized species that make good garden candidates without sacrificing any of the attributes that make goldenrod so attractive to wildlife. But it is important to know which species are good garden candidates, and which are best left in the wild.