You gasp! But isnt that like ragweed? Nope. In fact, goldenrod has many medicinal uses and has been cultivated by cultures in the east and west alike. Now you wonder, why the thoughts of goldenrod?
I took the kids and their friends for a trail walk, and as I walked I smelled the most wonderful sweet scent on the air. Quickly I discovered the source as the goldenrod at the side. Waving in the breeze, its brilliant yellow cheery and each frond of the plant delicate. I wondered which type it was to be so fragrant.... I googled goldenrod species to discover far more that the 4 or 5 species I had originally thought there were. Ei Yi Yi. A simple plant so many think of as a 'weed'! But if you just stop, look, smell, admire, BEAUTY IS EVERYWHERE!
Some things I have noticed on my wanders with the dog...
- The staghorn sumac is at its fruiting peak! The fuzz has not yet started to disintegrate and the colour is a blazing burgundy. Lovely. Did you know you can eat that red fuzzy part? It is the fruit! You can even brew it into a drink.
- The Queen Anne's Lace or Wild Carrot as it is also known, is very plentiful this year. After the blooms are spent, they curl up into a cup formation. As that cup shape dries, it is quite dense and firm. A weird feeling when you grasp one!
- Sadly there are few butterflies, moths, caterpillars and the like in comparison with past years. Sigh....
- On the positive I have seen a huge surge in the numbers of bumblebees and honeybees this year (and luckily, fewer paper wasps-- damn things!)
- the roots of corn actually come out of the ground when it gets cobs forming. It can be quite crazy to look at the strength of those roots, all for one stalk. If you doubt the strength, just try to pull one up!!
- Evening primrose have a lovely delicate scent if you catch them as the sun comes up in the morning, before they have a chance to close for the day.
