You know that Autumn is here when the Goldenrod blooms.  Bright patches of yellow everywhere.

 

My National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers lists 20 different species in the index!!!  Wildflowers in Color tells me that more than 100 species of goldenrods grow in North America, and over 24 species can be found in our eastern mountains.  

 

Goldenrod is in the Composite family, a huge family of plants that includes asters, dandelions, chrysanthemums, thistles, sunflowers, Joe-Pye weed, and many others.  When you look at the flowers, it's easy to understand the "composite" part.  Lots of little flowers make up the big showy flower heads.

 

Goldenrod often gets blamed for seasonal allergies, but it is Ragweed that causes hay fever.  Ragweed is also in the Composite family, but it has dull yellow flowers, and pollen that is spread by the wind, making it the principal cause of hay fever.

 

So, now you can enjoy the goldenrods for their bright and cheerful flowers all along the highways and byways.

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!