Goldenrod is the yellow plant growing above the hostas.
The Latin name- Solidago, is from Solidus, “whole”, and ago “to make”- to make whole or cure, reflecting its medicinal use.
Goldenrod uses:
Commonly blamed for seasonal allergies, that's actually ragweed- goldenrod can be harvested to PREVENT seasonal allergies! Traditionally it was taken before spring allergy season because it naturally contains quercetin.
Effective at flushing / cleaning the kidneys and bladder.
Treatment of cold and flu due to its diuretic action
Supports digestion, the herbal tea balances stomach acids / intestinal membranes.
Tips for Growing and Harvesting Goldenrod
Clip the flowering yellow heads and hang upside down (or lay flat) in a dry, well-ventilated place until dry.
When harvesting the don't take more than 25% of each goldenrod patch to ensure it can recover, and reseed to return next year.
Try growing goldenrod shoots in the back of your garden since they grow tall, about 5 ft. Goldenrod may naturally seed in your garden, if not, harvest a shoot from your neighbourhood, dry it and plant it (the flower turns to seed) in a sunny spot in your garden.
How to use Goldenrod:
Add the dried herb to a pot that has been brought to simmer. I like to add other flavourful plants like peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, thyme, sage, rooibos, black / green tea etc.
After adding the plants reduce the heat and keep hot and steaming for 15 minutes or more. Control the heat to ensure it doesn't get too hot and burn the active constituents.
My favourite way to use goldenrod is to dry the flower and add it to my tea blends. The leaves can also be used, but they are bitter.
What do you think?
Samantha
DISCLAIMER: Please note the NIH herbal encyclopedia is created to share the herbal benefits and notes through personal experience working with plants in the NIH garden and in the wild. Herbal knowledge shared here is referenced by various herbal texts in the NIH library. Any information gathered from our herbal blog posts should be utilized at your own risk. If you have medical conditions, are taking medication or are unsure of your health diagnosis, please speak with a physician or medical professional about the use of herbs.
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