For years, I blamed goldenrod for my fall allergies - until allergy testing proved I was wrong. Discover why this golden 'weed' is innocent, what's really making you sneeze, and why goldenrod might be the most important pollinator plant in North America. Spoiler: It's hosting the feeding frenzy of the year.

www.secretpollinators.com

KEY SOURCES

Goldenrod specialist bees

• Fowler, J. (2016). Specialist Bees of the Northeast: Host Plants and Habitat Conservation. Northeastern Naturalist, 23(2), 305–320. jarrodfowler.com/specialist_bees.html — Asteraceae is the most recurrent host family among pollen specialist bees; Solidago is the single most recurrent host genus, associated with roughly 40 specialist bee species; nearly 60% of listed pollen specialists are rare.
• Fowler, J., & Droege, S. Pollen Specialist Bees of the Eastern United States. — regional specialist-host lists.
• Johnson, L., & Colla, S. (2023). A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee. Douglas & McIntyre. — goldenrod as likely host to over 40 specialist bees.
• Cane, J. H., & Sipes, S. (2006). Characterizing floral specialization by bees: analytical methods and a revised lexicon for oligolecty. In Waser, N. M., & Ollerton, J. (eds.), Plant-Pollinator Interactions. University of Chicago Press.
• Danforth, B. N., Minckley, R. L., & Neff, J. L. (2019). The Solitary Bees: Biology, Evolution, Conservation. Princeton University Press.
• Swenk, M. H. (1906). Original description of Colletes solidaginis.

Goldenrod as a late-season resource

• Mader, E., Shepherd, M., Vaughan, M., Black, S. H., & LeBuhn, G. (2011). Attracting Native Pollinators. Xerces Society / Storey Publishing.
• Lee-Mäder, E., et al. 100 Plants to Save the Bees. Storey Publishing — average sugar concentration of some goldenrod nectar around 33%; Northeast beekeepers report colony honey gains of 50–80 pounds from goldenrod flows.
• Illinois Wildflowers, Solidago species accounts. illinoiswildflowers.info — faunal associations across bee, wasp, fly, butterfly and beetle groups.
• USDA NRCS Plant Guide, Solidago spp.

Allergy myth

• Ogren, T. L. (2015). The Allergy-Fighting Garden. Ten Speed Press.
• Bassett, I. J., & Crompton, C. W. (1975). The biology of Canadian weeds: Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. and A. psilostachya DC. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 55, 463–476. — ragweed pollen production and wind dispersal.
• Ziska, L. H., et al. (2011). Recent warming by latitude associated with increased length of ragweed pollen season in central North America. PNAS, 108(10), 4248–4251. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1014107108
• American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, ragweed allergy resources. acaai.org

Monarch migration and fall nectar

• Brower, L. P., et al. (2006). Fueling the fall migration of the monarch butterfly. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 46(6), 1123–1142. DOI: 10.1093/icb/icl029
• Rudolph, D. C., Ely, C. A., Schaefer, R. R., Williamson, J. H., & Thill, R. E. (2006). The Diana fritillary and great spangled fritillary: nectar plant selection. / Rudolph et al. (2006) on monarch nectar sources in Arkansas — goldenrod as a significant migratory nectar source.
• Inamine, H., Ellner, S. P., Springer, J. P., & Agrawal, A. A. (2016). Linking the continental migratory cycle of the monarch butterfly to understand its population decline. Oikos, 125(8), 1081–1091.
• Monarch Watch, monarchwatch.org

Goldenrod soldier beetle

• Illinois Wildflowers and BugGuide accounts for Chauliognathus pensylvanicus.

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