GOLDENROD DOES NOT CAUSE HAYFEVER!

I put a comment on this in the post on our goldenrod wildcrafting but I think it is important enough to give a whole post to.

This is taken from an About.com article on ragweed.

Ragweed Allergy:

As with so many plants considered baneful in the 21st century, giant ragweed was used medicinally by the denizens of tougher eras. But when one thinks of the plant nowadays, one thing comes to mind, and that is "ragweed allergy." Together, common ragweed and giant ragweed account for most of the hay fever experienced in North America in the fall. Symptoms of ragweed allergy are sneezing and runny nose, along with itchy eyes.

Goldenrod, another weed, is commonly blamed for causing this "hay fever." But goldenrod is merely a victim of circumstance: it just happens to bloom at the same time of year (late summer-early fall) as ragweed. Being by far the more conspicuous of the two, goldenrod has become the scapegoat for ragweed allergy. The fact is that goldenrod pollen is sticky and can be spread only by insects, not the wind. By contrast, ragweed pollen floats off easily on the gentlest of breezes -- much to the regret of your sinuses!