Goldenrod
My eyes have been feasting on the glorious yellow goldenrod blossoms populating the landscape, one of the true stars of the meadow. In my years as an herbalist I have found that sometimes the gifts of a plant (its medicinal uses and application) unfold over time. This has been the case in my relationship with goldenrod. The lessons of goldenrod have come through research, experimentation, knowledge shared by other herbalists and direct teachings from the plant. It’s always the teachings that come while I’m meditating with a plant or making medicine that touch me most deeply.
Tea and Tincture for Urinary Tract Infections
Initially, goldenrod made its way into my tea blends to help support urinary tract infections. It has anti-microbial properties as well as being diuretic. These actions can assist the body to overcome the harmful bacteria of a bladder infection while simultaneously flushing it through the urinary tract. Goldenrod can be be quite astringent so it is good to balance it in formulas with more soothing and moistening herbs. Marshmallow root, violet leaf and flower, and corn silk are some wonderful complementary herbs.
Tea and Tincture for Allergies
My home and herbal practice are in the valley beneath the Shawangunk Ridge in New Paltz/Gardiner, NY. The valley is gorgeous, surrounded by many beautiful deciduous trees. Yet when these trees are in flower the pollen floats down to the valley and settles everywhere like a chalky dust. As you can imagine, or may know firsthand, many of the residents of the Hudson Valley suffer with seasonal allergies. When those allergies manifest as red teary eyes and leaky noses, goldenrod, in either tincture or tea, often clears the symptoms up. This is due to the astringent action of the plant that I mentioned earlier. Ironically many people attribute their late summer allergies to goldenrod. In most cases the true culprit is ragweed which blooms around the same time. Ragweed inhabits similar terrain, only with a much less showy flower. Although some people are actually allergic to goldenrod when taken internally, it is very rare to be allergic to the pollen. Folks who have aster family allergies, echinacea and chamomile for example, may find that goldenrod causes a reaction upon ingestion.
Oil for Muscle Pain
One of the most pleasurable ways of making and using plant medicine is by creating herbal oils. Our skin is our biggest organ so steeping plants in oil and applying it to our skin can be very inviting. When I first made goldenrod oil I dove into researching how other herbalists use it. In a blog post from Kiva Rose, who is truly a conduit for the plants, I read that she found the oil and liniment of goldenrod to be superbly effective for muscles that are strained or in spasm. I began using goldenrod oil for skeletal muscle pain and found it to be an amazing ally. A client recently shared that she tried the oil on her child’s growing pains and it brought much relief. This is your cue to run out and gather some goldenrod tops, fill a jar with them and pour olive oil on them until they are completely covered. Let them sit for 4-6 weeks and then strain through cheese cloth and, voila, you’ll have a gorgeous muscle rub.
Flower Essence for the Winter Blues
A few years ago I had the pleasure of going for a plant walk with Rosemary Gladstar, sometimes refereed to the fairy godmother of the herb world for all that she has done to inspire plant/people relationships. On that walk Rosemary mentioned that she calls upon goldenrod the way that many people use st. john’s wort for the winter blues. In the weeks that followed that walk I spent a lot of time observing goldenrod. I saw the way the bees gathered nectar from those late summer flowers, to make honey to last through winter. I watched the way the goldenrod grew in wildly sprawling community, joyfully and unapologetically. That year I made a flower essence of goldenrod and have found it to be a heartwarming gift during the cold winter months. Winter can be isolating but sometimes the memories of communing with friends in the summer sunshine really helps to get us through. Goldenrod has the power to help us feel that connection even when the once golden meadows are covered in snow.
