Canada goldenrod: harbinger of winter

Our most conspicuous member of the Asteraceae, bar none, is now thoroughly coloring the meadows golden. Canada goldenrod, Solidago canadensis, is sometimes maligned as a "weed", but only by those who don't know its charms. Or its ecological value. Few of our native plants produce the abundant contributions to the food web that this goldenrod does.

A classic fall scene in Ohio. Old fields gilded in yellow, punctuated with the white bursts of boneset and shocking bolts of purple courtesy of New England aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae. Insect enthusiasts know to enter the goldenrod fields and search the panicles of showy lemon blooms to find all manner of six-legged wonders. More importantly, myriad predators also hunt goldenrod patches, contributing to an ever upwards spiraling web of life.

One downside, at least for the winter-phobic, is that the golden fields of Solidago will soon give way to frosty nights and Old Man Winter. Goldenrods are the growing season's last hurrah.

But even in winter, the senescent sprays of goldenrod are rich with nutritious seeds. While the plants themselves may not overly beautify an old fencerow, the flocks of Tree Sparrows, filling the wintry air with melodious tinkling calls that suggest icicles delicately crashing to earth, certainly add life to winter's drabness as they feast on the fruit. Even in death, goldenrods foster plenty of life.