{"id":11690,"date":"2018-10-01T06:30:35","date_gmt":"2018-10-01T10:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=11690"},"modified":"2018-09-27T16:25:08","modified_gmt":"2018-09-27T20:25:08","slug":"take-5-glorious-goldenrod","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-glorious-goldenrod\/","title":{"rendered":"Take 5: Glorious Goldenrod"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ah…ah…AH…CHOO! Feeling a bit sneezy these days? Well, we’re here to clear the air\u2014goldenrod is not to blame for your seasonal allergy woes. This bright, ubiquitous, late-flowering plant has been framed by the real culprit, ragweed, which blooms around the same time and often nearby. Ragweed’s light, dusty pollen is easily carried on the wind to hay-feverish noses but goldenrod’s pollen is much too heavy, making the latter all the more appealing for pollinators!<\/p>\n

There are at least 15 species of butterfly and moth caterpillars that feed on the leaves and stems of goldenrods and the many species of insects that can be found on goldenrods, pollinating the flowers or feeding on their leaves and nectar, are far too numerous to count! Research from Cornell University suggests that Monarch butterflies actually face their greatest food shortage in the fall as they are migrating south, usually along the coast; so while milkweed is the primary food source for Monarch caterpillars, the adult butterflies rely on nectar from wildflowers such as goldenrod to fuel them on their long journey.<\/p>\n

So before you go pulling goldenrods out of your yard or garden as a nuisance weed, give them a second chance. You might just be reward by a visit from some hungry butterflies. Here are five beautiful photos of goldenrod from our Picture This: Your Great Outdoors<\/a> photo contest entries. The 2018\u00a0contest is now closed, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some gorgeous photography year-round!<\/p>\n

Read and print out our By the Numbers: Goldenrod<\/a> and learn how to plant a native pollinator garden<\/a> in your backyard on our website.<\/p>\n

\"Tri-colored

Tri-colored Bumblebee on Goldenrod \u00a9 Ellen Pierce<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Orange

Orange Sulphur on Goldenrod \u00a9 Richard Welch<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Monarch

Monarch Butterfly and Goldenrod \u00a9 Kim Caruso<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Monarch

Monarch Butterfly on Goldenrod \u00a9 Karen Lund<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Goldenrod

Goldenrod \u00a9 Katharine Randel<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ah…ah…AH…CHOO! Feeling a bit sneezy these days? Well, we’re here to clear the air\u2014goldenrod is not to blame for your seasonal allergy woes. This bright, ubiquitous, late-flowering plant has been framed by the real culprit, ragweed, which blooms around the same time and often nearby. Ragweed’s light, dusty pollen is easily carried on the wind […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":11691,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[158],"tags":[281,68,83,84,85,255],"class_list":["post-11690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-take-5","tag-goldenrod","tag-monarch","tag-photo-contest","tag-photography","tag-plants","tag-pollinators"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/09\/2371KatharineRandel8320.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-32y","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6151,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/five-golden-truths-about-goldenrods\/","url_meta":{"origin":11690,"position":0},"title":"Five Golden Truths about Goldenrods","author":"Rosemary","date":"October 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Nothing says it's late summer\/early fall\u00a0in Massachusetts like fields full of blooming goldenrods. Here are five fascinating facts about these under-appreciated flowers. 1. Goldenrods Aren't Making You Sneeze Got allergies? Don\u2019t blame goldenrods! Those big yellow flower heads may look like allergen factories, but their pollen is heavy and sticky\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/09\/Robin-Young.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/09\/Robin-Young.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2015\/09\/Robin-Young.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2772,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/four-fall-flowers\/","url_meta":{"origin":11690,"position":1},"title":"Four Fall Flowers","author":"Rosemary","date":"September 17, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Most of us associate flowers with the warmth of spring, rather than the crispness of autumn. But naturalists and gardeners know a secret: there are plenty of plants that don\u2019t bloom until late summer and fall.\u00a0Here are four you can look for: White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) This plant produces many\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2013\/09\/asters.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2013\/09\/asters.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2013\/09\/asters.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16992,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/pollinator-plant-duos\/","url_meta":{"origin":11690,"position":2},"title":"Pollinator Plant Duos","author":"Kaylin D.","date":"June 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Within buzzing meadows and grasslands, insects of all shapes and sizes are getting to work. These critters may look like they are aimlessly bouncing from flower to flower, but they are fueling themselves up and pollinating in the process. Pollen sticks to the antenna, bodies, and appendages of an insect,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/06\/KForesto-2615-750x500-95a192d0-b388-473a-8c53-ebe8f24807ef.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/06\/KForesto-2615-750x500-95a192d0-b388-473a-8c53-ebe8f24807ef.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/06\/KForesto-2615-750x500-95a192d0-b388-473a-8c53-ebe8f24807ef.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/06\/KForesto-2615-750x500-95a192d0-b388-473a-8c53-ebe8f24807ef.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15948,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-pollinator-power\/","url_meta":{"origin":11690,"position":3},"title":"Take 5: Pollinator Power","author":"Ryan D.","date":"June 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It's National Pollinator Week! This is a time to celebrate pollinators and raise awareness about how to protect them. So what are pollinators? Pollinators are creatures that help plants reproduce by spreading\u00a0a powdery material called pollen among flowers of the same species when the sticky pollen attaches to their bodies\u2014many\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hummingbird Clearwing Moth on beebalm \u00a9 Lynne Harding","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/5643Lynne_Harding27773-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/5643Lynne_Harding27773-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/5643Lynne_Harding27773-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/5643Lynne_Harding27773-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14000,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/climate-change-and-pollinators\/","url_meta":{"origin":11690,"position":4},"title":"Climate Change Disrupts Pollinator Buzz and Bustle","author":"Rishya N.","date":"May 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Every spring our world blossoms with life: melodious bird song accompanies the bursts of growth in our plants, flowers, and trees. As our backyards and neighborhoods fill with bright colors and vivid aromas, a special group of animals work behind-the-scenes to ensure the survival of our flora: pollinators. Hairy-banded Andrena\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/IMG_8538.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/IMG_8538.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/IMG_8538.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/IMG_8538.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12683,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/dont-ditch-the-dandelions\/","url_meta":{"origin":11690,"position":5},"title":"Don’t Ditch the Dandelions!","author":"Ryan D.","date":"May 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Before you mow them down or, worse, reach for the herbicide, you might want to consider giving the dandelions in your yard a second chance. How They Got Here The ubiquitous dandelions that pop up in our yards this time of year are actually native to Europe and Asia. They\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dandelions \u00a9 Mass Audubon","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/DSC_0010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/DSC_0010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/DSC_0010.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/DSC_0010.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11690"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11698,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11690\/revisions\/11698"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}