Showy goldenrod blossoms attract a multitude of pollinators each fall.
October 21, 2024 - I cannot recall a single allergy relief commercial that does not show misleading pictures of assorted colorful garden flowers therefore implying that we gardeners are often to blame for our own misery.
As fall finally settles into East Texas, many of us begin to suffer from seasonal allergies, watery eyes, and congestion. While goldenrod’s bright yellow blooms are often blamed, they are not the source of your misery. The real culprit is generally native ragweed.
Ragweed (Ambrosia spp.) is a weedy, wind-pollinated annual that releases billions of tiny, airborne pollen grains during the fall. Its tiny yellow-green flowers often go unnoticed, but the pollen can travel long distances, causing allergic reactions for many. Unlike showy flowers that evolved to rely on insects for pollination, ragweed’s pollen is crudely designed to be carried by the wind, making it easy to inhale and triggering allergy symptoms.
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.), on the other hand, is an insect-pollinated plant, meaning its pollen is heavy and sticky, clinging to bees, butterflies, wasps, and other pollinators. This pollen does not float through the air and is not likely to cause allergies unless you stick a blossom up your nose. Unfortunately, because goldenrod blooms at the same time as ragweed and is much more visible, it often gets blamed for causing allergies.
The misconception that colorful fall blossoms cause allergies can lead to unwarranted concern. Showy native flowers like bidens, goldenrod, and swamp sunflower are not the source of airborne pollen that makes people sneeze. Instead, it is ragweed, hiding in plain sight (generally ditches and fence rows), that is causing most allergy sufferers’ discomfort. Giant ragweed and common ragweed are both very common in East Texas and the seed is considered a preferred food for the ever-dwindling bobwhite quail population.
If you are looking to add beauty to your autumn landscape without contributing to fall allergies, there are plenty of options. Consider planting blue mist flower (Conoclinium sp.), cigar plant (Cuphea micropetala), fall aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), Mexican mint marigold (Tagetes lucida), or true garden mums like ‘Country Girl’ (Chrysanthemum cvs.). These Texas-tough perennials offer brilliant fall color and support assorted pollinators without sending pollen into the air.
Understanding the difference between highly evolved insect-pollinated and more ancient wind-pollinated plants can help you manage allergies more effectively. Wind-pollinated plants, like cedar, elm, grasses, oaks, and ragweed release pollen that can travel far and wide, causing problems for those with allergies. Showy insect-pollinated plants, like asters, goldenrod, and sunflowers have pollen that stays in the flower and does not become airborne.
So next time you see goldenrod blooming, do not be quick to blame it for your sneezing. Instead, remember that the real culprit is probably ragweed, hiding nearby, and if a flower is showy enough to be admired it is because it evolved to attract insect pollinators for more precise pollination.
Greg Grant is the Smith County horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. He is the author of Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, Texas Home Landscaping, Heirloom Gardening in the South, and The Rose Rustlers. You can read his “Greg’s Ramblings” blog at arborgate.com, read his “In Greg’s Garden” in each issue of Texas Gardener magazine (texasgardener.com), or follow him on Facebook at “Greg Grant Gardens.” More science-based lawn and gardening information from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service can be found at aggieturf.tamu.edu and aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu.
