This geocache is part of the Gold Country GeoTour – The Prequel: Be A Guest. This GeoTour focuses on a step back in time to learn about before the Gold Rush ensued: languages of the region’s culturally diverse families, handed down traditions such as recipes, flora and fauna, historic sites of significance, and points of interest. These stories will help preserve the oral languages and traditions of the region as well as assist in educating visitors and locals alike to the cultural diversity and environmental sensitivity of the region.
Canada Goldenrod: Solidago canadensis also referred to as Aaron's Rod, Baguette d'Aaron, Early Goldenrod, European Goldenrod, Gerbe d'Or, Herbe des Juifs, Solidage, Solidage du Canada, Solidago canadensis, Solidago gigantea, Solidago longifolia, Solidago serotina, Solidago virgaurea, Vara de Oro, Verge d'Or, Woundwort.
Secwepemc: séxw stən
Stl’atl’imx (Fraser River): xək’t-áłp (fireweed-plant), xak’t (fireweed) OR xək’tn-áłp
Nlaka’pamux: ʔeskw loʔqín (yellow top); OR variants; OR tł’əxw tł’wə́ p peł stuytúym’xw (paralyzed person’s ground-growth); OR snúkw ’eʔs e sxə́ k’iʔt (friend/relative of fireweed) (and variants)
Nsyilxcən: nt’ept’epqín; OR pupawl’áqaʔ (young stage); OR t’epíliʔs (older stage)
English translation: fireweed plant, yellow top, paralyzed person’s ground-growth, friend/relative of fireweed
Family: Asteraceae
Origin: Native
Duration: Perennial
Color: Dark green leaves and bright sunny yellow blooms.
Typical Bloom (varies by elevation): July – October, elevation dependant.
This herbaceous plant grows all over the world with over 100 different species, most coming from North America. There are 32 species that are recognized in Canada, with 6 of them being found in different continents where it has become an invasive species. There are 17 species of Goldenrod that are specific to eastern Canada, the remaining 15 species growing across the country. This plant likes to grow in a variety of conditions, from dry and arid conditions to moist and rich soils making its home from seashore to the mountains as its needs are undemanding. Although Goldenrod can grow in fertile soil, it is healthiest in sand, clay, and gravel soils.
Goldenrod can grow up to 5 feet tall with leaves that are alternate each other and thin, up to 3 cm wide and up to almost 20 cm in length. The bright green leaves are lance shaped being widest near the middle and tapering to a point. The leaves grow on upright and rigid stems. This plant produces cluster galls (growths created from damage caused by insects, specifically the Goldenrod midge fly) and this is a species identifier for Canada Goldenrod. The leaves have sharply toothed margins except near the leaf base, however leaves may be toothless below the blooms. Goldenrod may grow as a single stem that has soft, fine hairs, or have up to as many as 20 of these stems in a group growing from underground rhizomes. The flowers of this plant are numerous and small growing in bright golden yellow clusters of branches from the top of the plant. These tiny ray and disk blooms have 8 to 15 petals that are merely an 1/8 inch in diameter, and blooms may be as numerous as 100 to 1300 flowers.
Indigenous Cultural Notes: For many years the benefits of this plant have been utilized by Indigenous Peoples of the interior of British Columbia. Every part of the Goldenrod plant was useful. The Nsyilxcən, and Nlaka’pamux used the stems and flowers to make a tea for easing diarrhea that was often used for babies. The leaves and flowers were harvested to make a tea that would be used for intestinal and urinary disorders. This tea was also used to treat fever, snakebites, colic, measles, headaches, and asthma. A lotion made from the flowers was used to sooth beestings and reduce localized swelling. They chewed the flowers to ease sore throats and toothaches and ate the seeds as survival food when needed. A tea made from the roots was used to treat burns and ulcers. The flowers could also be used to produce a bold yellow dye.
Interesting Facts: To this day the benefits of Goldenrod are acknowledged by medical physicians, recommending it for treating and preventing gallstones, kidney stones, yeast infections, and urinary tract infections. Canada Goldenrod has also been recognized for its use as an anti-inflammatory, sedative, antiseptic, astringent, and as a blood pressure reducer. Today Goldenrod is sometimes prescribed for UTI’s, pain reduction, muscle spasms, joint pain, eczema, hay fever, tuberculosis, enlarged liver, hemorrhoids, internal bleeding, diabetes, enlarged prostate and topically to help with skin lesions and bruises.
Canada Goldenrod was introduced in Central Europe as a garden plant and is now growing wild throughout most of Europe, with it being considered an invasive species in Germany. Thomas Edison made tires for his Model T Ford using rubber from the Goldenrod plant! Its scientific name “Solidago” means to make whole, heal, or cure.
Medicinal plant information is for historical information only. Gold Country Communities Society is not encouraging harvesting of native plants for food and/or medicine.
Researched and written by Lana Rae Brooks
Sources:
Appendix 2B - Ancient Pathways, Ancestral Knowledge – Ethnobotany and Ecological Wisdom of Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America By Nancy J. Turner Published by McGill-Queen’s University Press July 2017
http://dspace.library.uvic.ca/bitstream/handle/1828/5091/Appendix%202B%20%20UVicSpace%20Indigenous%20names%20of%20native%20species_BIG.pdf
Accessed Aug 25, 2022
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/canada-goldenrod
Accessed Aug 25, 2022
https://medicinalgarden.trekbirmingham.com/solidago-nemoralis/
Accessed Aug 26, 2022
Goldenrod
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
Accessed Aug 25, 2022
Prindle, Tara-1994
http://www.nativetech.org/plantgath/goldenro.htm
Accessed Aug 25, 2022
https://espacepourlavie.ca/en/biodome-flora/canada-goldenrod
Accessed Aug 26, 2022
https://www.rxlist.com/goldenrod/supplements.htm
Accessed Aug 26, 2022
https://www.wnit.org/outdoorelements/pdf/goldenrodfacts.pdf
Accessed Aug 26, 2022