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| Ragweed vs Goldenrod ~ Goldenrod |
| Have you, or someone you know, ever believed goldenrods (𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘱.) to be the cause of severe fall allergies or hayfever? The truth is that goldenrods are innocent… the real culprits are ragweeds (𝘈𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘱.). Ragweeds are extraordinarily common, often growing in disturbed soils along roads and fields. They are wind-pollinated and produce a prodigious amount of pollen. One plant can produce up to one billion pollen grains! These tiny pollen particles are carried by the wind straight into our nasal passages. It gets worse – 1 in 5 people are allergic to ragweed, making it one of the most common allergies. To top it all off, the pollen grains themselves are spiny and can irritate respiratory tissue, even if you aren’t allergic. So why do Goldenrods get the blame? |
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| Giant Ragweed ~ Common Ragweed |
| Many goldenrods live in the same habitats as ragweed, in fields, prairies, or along roadways and other disturbed soils. They’re also much more conspicuous with their bright yellow flowers, so it is easy to blame the most prominent flower you see when your allergies start acting up. To help you identify the two groups in your gardens or hikes, here are some guidelines (pictured above, featuring our two most common ragweed species in Ohio). The biggest key, which is reliable even when the plants are not flowering, is their leaves. Ragweeds have opposite leaves (growing from opposite sides of the stem at the same points) which can be fernlike or lobed, while goldenrods have alternate leaves (growing from one side, then the other, from the stems) and are simple (not lobed). While we can’t protect you from the ever-present ragweed pollen in the air as summer transitions into fall, hopefully, this does at least give you peace of mind that the lovely goldenrods in your gardens are not to blame! |
October 2024 Newsletter
