Q: My friend and I are arguing about what’s causing our hay fever’s runny noses and itchy eyes. She says we should blame the goldenrod for them and I say we should blame the ragweed. Who is right? C.J., Hatfield
A: Sneezy, itchy, “I need a tissue right now!” season is definitely here, C.J. In fact, I just saw some goldenrod blooming on my dog walk yesterday. While I am not a doctor and do not give out medical advice, I can offer my thoughts on why I’m putting my bet with you on ragweed as a likely contributor to your snuffly state.
Ragweed is part of the genus Ambrosia— how is that for irony! — which has many species in it. Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is very prevalent around here. Its unobtrusive appearance of dissected marigold-like leaves and a muted greenish-white flower spike allows it to easily blend in with surrounding greenery and cause us to overlook it as our culprit.
The real allergy-causing power of ragweed comes from its ultra-lightweight pollen that is blown by the wind. These plants produce insane amounts of pollen with one plant alone sending out — are you ready for this? — up to 1 Billion, with a capital B, pollen grains in one season. They need to produce a lot as the wind carries the pollen to, well, no place in particular except seemingly up our noses. This random distribution results in only a small percentage landing on the same kind of plant and successfully pollinating it.
Goldenrod (Solidago), contrarily, has pollen too heavy for the wind to blow. Instead, our friendly bee and butterfly pollinators take on the task of transporting pollen from one goldenrod plant to another. A couple of possible reasons people incorrectly blame this plant for their seasonal maladies is goldenrod blooms at the same time as ragweed and we easily see, and thus fault, their showy bright yellow flowers.
In addition to the everyday goldenrod we see roadside, there are some lovely cultivars available. One of these I encourage you to investigate is Solidago rugosa, or “Fireworks.” Easily grown in the acidic soil common around the Valley, its blooms radiate themselves horizontally outwards with the energy and appearance of our beloved Fourth of July fireworks. Paired with the vertically aligned purple spikes of Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), it makes a stunning, pollinator-friendly combination for late summer into Fall.
So there you have it, C.J. Hope this brings peace between you and your friend. Thanks for asking a (local) Master Gardener.
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