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Common Name: Goldenrod

General Information

Solidago virgaurea is a herbaceous perennial plant that can grow up to 60cm tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine, tea and source of a dyestuff. The leaves are sometimes sold in local food markets in Korea[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

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[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any moderately fertile moisture retentive soil in sun or semi-shade[]. Grows well in heavy clay soils.
A rather greedy plant, it is apt to impoverish the soil[].
The bruised plant smells like wild carrots[].
The sub-species Solidago virgaurea minuta is only 10cm tall and wide[].
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[, ].

Edible Uses

A tea is obtained from the leaves[, , ].
The leaves of two subspecies, asiatica and gigantea, are harvested from the wild and sold in local food markets in Korea, though the report does not say if this is for making a tea or as a vegetable[, ].

Medicinal

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[]. The plant contains saponins that are antifungal and act specifically against the Candida fungus which is the cause of vaginal and oral thrush[, ]. It also contains rutin which is used to treat capillary fragility, and phenolic glycosides which are anti-inflammatory[].

The leaves and flowering tops are anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, aromatic, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, mildly diuretic, febrifuge and stimulant[, , , , , ]. 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[, ]. Due to its mild action, goldenrod is used to treat gastro-enteritis in children[]. It makes an excellent mouthwash in the treatment of thrush[].
The plant is gathered in the summer and dried for later use[].

The seed is anticoagulant, astringent and carminative[].

A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[]. It is used in the treatment of kidney and bladder disorders,
rheumatism and arthritis[].

Other Uses

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

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.