Goldenrod is aperennial plant that is native to Europe and is well-known for its medicinal benefits a wide-spread wild plant in North America (found from Florida to New Hampshire and west into Texas), Europe, and Asia.
An edible plant that reproduces through its roots, bulbs, stems and by its seed, goldenrod belongs to the aster family and can be used fresh or as a dried herb to make tea or as a fluid extract, tincture, or in capsule forms. They have toothed leaves that usually alternate along the stem and yellow flower heads composed of both disk and ray flowers.
The many small heads may be crowded together in one-sided clusters, or groups of heads may be borne on short branches to form a cluster at the top of the stem. It contains carminative, diuretic, diaphoretic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antiseptic, expectorant and anti-fungal therapeutic properties.
Goldenrod has a long history of use for the urinary system. It has been used for urinary tract infections as well as for strengthening the kidneys.
Goldenrod can benefit your health in many ways, it is used as a mouth rinse for inflammation of the mouth and throat, and it is also applied directly to the skin to improve wound healing.
Historically, goldenrod has been used on the skin to heal wounds. It has also been used as a diuretic, meaning it helps the body get rid of excess fluid. It has also been used to treat tuberculosis, diabetes, enlargement of the liver, gout, haemorrhoids, internal bleeding, asthma, and arthritis.
It also is of special use in all lotions for sores or ulcers in the mouth, throat, or private parts of man or woman. The decoction also helps to fasten the teeth that are loose in the gums.
Externally, Native Americans boiled leaves and used them topically as an antiseptic and astringent for relief from eczema and rheumatism.
This herb is often wrongly blamed as the cause of allergies, because it blooms at the same time as Ragweed (the true culprit).
But herbs should be taken with care, under the supervision of a qualified health care provider trained in the field of botanical medicine.
