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Solidago virgaurea

Common name: Goldenrod Family: Compositae
Author: L. Botanical references: 17, 200
Synonyms:  
Known Hazards: None known
Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, temperate Asia and N. America.
Habitat: Dry woods, grassland, rocks, cliffs, hedgebanks, dunes etc on acid or calcareous soils[17].
Edibility Rating (1-5): 1Medicinal Rating (1-5):3

Other Possible Synonyms:From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
S. virga-aurea[E] S. virgo-aurea[E] S. virgoaurea[E]
Other Common Names:From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
Aaron's Rod [H], Echte Guldenroede [D], European Goldenrod [E], Golden Rod [H], Goldenrod [L], Liu Chi Nu Ts'Ao [E], Solidago [H], Vara De Oro [E], Woundwort [H], Yahudiotu [E],
Epithets:From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
aurea = golden; solida = solid; virgaurea = golden rod;
Systematics:From a USDA Plants Database
Order: Asterales. Renamed to Asteraceae -- Aster family
Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database
China; Europe; Spain; Syria; Turkey

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.6m by 0.4m . It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees and flies. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Meadow, Hedgerow, Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Tea.

A tea is obtained from the leaves[46, 61, 183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Anthelmintic; Anticoagulant; Antifungal; Antiinflammatory; Antiseptic; Aromatic; Astringent; Carminative; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Febrifuge; Stimulant.

Goldenrod is a safe and gentle remedy for a number of disorders. In particular, it is a valuable astringent remedy treating wounds and bleeding, whilst it is particularly useful in the treatment of urinary tract disorders, being used both for serious ailments such as nephritis and for more common problems such as cystitis[254]. The plant contains saponins that are antifungal and act specifically against the Candida fungus which is the cause of vaginal and oral thrush[238, 254]. It also contains rutin which is used to treat capillary fragility, and phenolic glycosides which are anti-inflammatory[238].
The leaves and flowering tops are anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, aromatic, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, mildly diuretic, febrifuge and stimulant[4, 7, 9, 21, 147, 165]. A good vulnerary herb, it has also proved of value when used internally in the treatment of urinary infections, chronic catarrh, skin diseases, influenza, whooping cough, bladder and kidney stones etc[4, 238]. Due to its mild action, goldenrod is used to treat gastro-enteritis in children[254]. It makes an excellent mouthwash in the treatment of thrush[7]. The plant is gathered in the summer and dried for later use[7].
The seed is anticoagulant, astringent and carminative[218].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[9]. It is used in the treatment of kidney and bladder disorders, rheumatism and arthritis[9].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

Dye.

Mustard, orange and brown dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[168].
A yellow dye is obtained from the leaves and flowers[4, 100].

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any moderately fertile moisture retentive soil in sun or semi-shade[200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils.
A rather greedy plant, it is apt to impoverish the soil[1].
The bruised plant smells like wild carrots[4].
The sub-species S. virgaurea minuta is only 10cm tall and wide[188].
The plant attracts various beneficial insects such as ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies to the garden, these insects will help to control insect pests in the garden[201, 238].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Only just cover the seed and do not allow the compost to become dry. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on for their first winter in pots. Plant them out into their permanent positions in spring or early summer.
Division in spring or autumn. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Scent

Leaves: Crushed
The bruised plant smells like wild carrots.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

References for Solidago virga-aurea (a possible synonym). References for Solidago virgo-aurea (a possible synonym). References for Solidago virgoaurea (a possible synonym). References for solidago virgaurea (a possible synonym).

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[100] Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969 ISBN 0192176218
An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.

[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.

[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.

[168] Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
A very good and readable book on dyeing.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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