Difference Between Goldenrod and Ragweed

Definition

Goldenrod is the yellow wildflower of the eastern United States and a perennial herb best known for its healing properties.

It is a genus of hundreds of flowering plants that belong to the aster family, Asteraceae.Goldenrods are the most showy and abundant among the many yellow flowers that predominate in summer.

Ragweed is yet another flowering plant of the aster family in the genus Ambrosia which grows at the same time of the year as goldenrod.

Ragweed is one of the primary causes of seasonal allergies and irritations in the United States.

Species

Goldenrod, often called “Solidago”, is a large genus of over 100 species of perennial herbs most of which occur in North America. Over 20 species are found in the Chicago region alone.

The most common are the herbaceous perennial species found mostly in meadows, savannas, and prairies. All goldenrods have alternate leaves, but the sizes and shapes of leaf vary with species.

There are over 20 species of ragweed found in North America. The two common species of ragweed are the common ragweed and the giant ragweed. Common ragweed is the most pervasive among the species of Ambrosia.

Pollination

One of the key differences between the two flowering plants is how they pollinate. Goldenrod is insect- pollinated meaning the flowers are pollinated by insects such as butterflies, bees, beetles, and flies.

Their yellow hue alerts insects to vast stores of pollen and nectar on the prairies. Insect-pollinated flowers tend to produce a fragrance which attracts only certain insects.

Ragweed, on the other hand, is wind- pollinated and can also self-pollinate. The ragweed pollen travels on the wind and remains airborne for days until it finds a new plant to fertilize the seed for the growth of a new plant.

Habitat

Goldenrods are widespread in North America and thrives in a wide variety of habitats. The early, late and Canadian goldenrods are probably the most widely distributed of all goldenrods and reside mostly in dry, open areas, roadsides, old fields, and disturbed soils.

The Curtis’s Goldenrod is found mainly in moist, forested slopes, including hardwood forests, cove forests, and oak-hickory forests.

Ragweed plants, on the other hand, are mainly found in disturbed areas of upland prairies, especially near the woodlands or abandoned fields. They are also found in meadows in woodland areas or near rivers, waste sites, or by roadsides or railroads.

Uses

Goldenrod plants is mainly used by the Native Americans for making tea and also as a medicine for urinary and kidney disorders.Goldenrods are also used as landscape plants, as well as a source of cut flowers.

Goldenrod is used to treat joint pain, arthritis, gout, hemorrhoids, asthma, and so on.

Ragweed leaves are stimulating and astringing, and immediately suggests medicine; it is a valuable local styptic, and can be applied to bleeding surfaces, as in piles, epistaxis, wounds, etc, as powder or infusion.