The primarily edible parts of the goldenrod plant are the leaves and flowers, with of course the youngest greens being the most palatable raw or in tea form. In the spring, goldenrods start as a basal rosette of leaves, unique in that they have pointy serrations on the edge of the leaves, with a kind of sword-like quality and are long and narrow. The flower stalk begins in the middle and the golden flowers will not appear until sometime in fall. The dry stalks remain as another identifier, however, as goldenrods propagate primarily from woody rhizomes. The young bitter leaves can be added sparingly to salads, or they can be boiled and prepared similarly to spinach, which also removes some bitterness. You can also make goldenrod tea, which in fact, was quite common during times, such as the Boston Tea Party, when colonists began to boycott high import costs on British products. Moreover, it was sold and marketed as ‘Liberty Tea’. When making goldenrod tea, however, it is very important not to let the water reach a true boil or to sit for too long, as the tea will be extremely bitter, though using younger leaves, which can be harvested in the spring abundantly and then dried for later use, will also help in alleviating this problem. In using the flowers, gathering them within the first few days of their opening will provide the richest flavors. The whole flower stalks can be cut, hung upside down to dry in a paper bag, and then collected. Steeping one tablespoon of these dried flowers in hot water will produce an anise flavored tea.
Medicinally, goldenrod can be used to reduce pain and swelling, to stop muscle spasms, as a diuretic, for gout, joint pain, coughs and colds, arthritis, eczema and other skin conditions, to treat reemerging tuberculosis, enlargement of the liver, internal bleeding, hemorrhoids, asthma, and hay fever. Some also recommend using it in conjunction with lots of fluids to treat lower urinary tract disorders as well as kidney stones. Furthermore, goldenrod can be used as a mouth rinse for inflammation of the throat and or mouth and applied directly to the skin to improve the healing of wounds, which is improved by crushing it into a poultice. So, remember, eat one wild food every day and if you have any questions or comments or have suggestions for articles covering wild plant foods, medicines, and recipes, please e-mail [email protected].