"Liberty Tea" - The Goldenrod

Nothing says fall like the blooms of goldenrods. These plants are found just about everywhere, are easy to grow and come in about 160 varieties. Their reputation has been marred by the rumor that they cause hay fever. Not true! It is the nondescript ragweed that frequently grows near it which is the real culprit. Goldenrod is in fact a very versatile plant. It is a great source of pollen for late honey making and parts of some species are edible. The Native Americans called it “sun medicine” and used it to treat everything from wounds and fevers to rheumatism and toothache. Modern herbalists use it to counter inflammation and irritation caused by bacterial infections or kidney stones. Outside of the medicine cabinet it is still used as a dye. After the Boston Tea Party in 1773, colonist combined it with other herbs to create a tea substitute – “Liberty Tea”. With its ability to grow in a variety of places, it became a cash crop. Sweet Goldenrod was cut, dried and baled, then shipped to England as an apothecary shop item. It even was sent to China as a high priced tea substitute. In the garden and wild it is an important food source for a wide variety of beneficial insects. In Europe it has long been prized as a garden plant. So as you walk through the woods, meadow or garden, admire the plant for what it is – An American Treasure.