Herb: Sweet Goldenrod


Latin name: Solidago odora


Family: Compositae



Medicinal use of Sweet Goldenrod:

An infusion of the dried powdered herb is antiseptic. The leaves make a very pleasant-tasting tea that is mildly astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge and stimulant. It is useful in the treatment of coughs and colds, dysentery and ulceration of the intestines. The essential oil has been used as a diuretic for infants, as a local application for headaches and for the treatment of flatulence and vomiting. The flowers are aperient, astringent and tonic. An infusion is beneficial in the treatment of gravel, urinary obstruction and simple dropsy. The root can be chewed as a treatment for sore mouths.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
120 cm
(4 feet)

Flowering:
July to
August

Scent:
Scented
Perennial

Habitat of the herb:

Dry sterile soil or thin woodlands. Woods and roadsides in Texas.

Edible parts of Sweet Goldenrod:

Leaves - cooked. Seed. No more details are given but the seed is very small and fiddly to harvest. An aromatic, anise-flavoured tea is made from the dried leaves and dried fully expanded flowers. The blossoms are used as a flavouring.

Other uses of the herb:

An anise-scented essential oil is obtained from the plant. It is used medicinally and in perfumery - especially for scenting soaps. Mustard, orange and brown dyes can be obtained from the whole plant.

Propagation of Sweet Goldenrod:

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Only just cover the seed and do not allow the compost to become dry. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on for their first winter in pots. Plant them out into their permanent positions in spring or early summer. Division in spring or autumn. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Cultivation of the herb:

Dry sterile soil or thin woodlands. Woods and roadsides in Texas.

Known hazards of Solidago odora:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.