Do goldenrods cause hay fever?
Hay fever problems in August and September are mainly caused by ragweed pollen. Ragweeds (Ambrosia species) are found throughout Iowa in roadside ditches, pastures, cultivated fields and wasteland. Plants produce small, inconspicuous flowers from late July until the first hard frost. Their flowers produce large quantities of wind-borne pollen in late summer, causing discomfort for allergic individuals. Goldenrods (Solidago species) are often falsely blamed for hay fever because they bloom at the same time of the year as the ragweeds. The small, inconspicuous flowers of ragweeds go unnoticed, while the showy, bright yellow goldenrod flowers stand out in the landscape. (Goldenrods are native to Iowa. Their bright yellow flowers are commonly seen in fence rows, pastures, roadside ditches, prairies, open woods and gardens in late summer.) While the pollen of goldenrods may be carried by the wind, plants are primarily insect pollinated. Goldenrods do not contribute significantly to hay feve
