Sol means sun and day is the time this outstanding Perennial shines so its name, Solidago says it all for it looks just like the sun shining in a sunny garden. The Latin name solidare means “to make whole” and Solidago is a powerful healing herb as well as being beautiful!
Solidago’s Medicinal Qualities
This remarkable Perennial’s medicinal qualities were well known to the early settlers of this continent for the Native inhabinants shared their knowledge of its healing abilities. Solidago poultices would bring relief for arthritis, neuralgia in the legs and feet, and chest pains. The plant’s astringent qualities made an excellent cleansing agent for a sore mouth and aching teeth and would clear up eczema or soothe bee stings. A licorice-scented tea made from dried Solidago stalks is not only delicious but will break a fever and treat kidney and bladder problems.
Solidago as a Dye
Native Americans also used Solidago as a dye. Pick blossoms before they are fully opened to get a lime dye color. In full bloom, the flowers give a brilliant pure yellow, gold or orange color for dying textiles.
Solidago Cultivars and Hybrids
Shorter varieties of Solidago like the patented cultivar ‘Little Lemon’ are delightful in the garden. Their lacy plumes reach about twelve to fifteen inches in height and are covered with delectable pale, pearl-shaped masses of flowers. The small tightness of ‘Little Lemon’s blooms adds a flawless beauty to the front of the flowerbed.
Another Soliadgo hybrid that is receiving rave reviews is a new one known as ‘Fireworks’. This fine perennial grows as a shrub about three feet tall. In September, ‘Firework’s’ eighteen-inch-long spikes of gold, light a fire in the garden with the slightest breeze. As with all Solidagos, ‘Fireworks’ is a hardy, easy grow, low maintenance perennial that puts on a fall fireworks display that is unforgettable!
If a Gardener wants non-stop brilliant golden colors in fall plus the easy care of a native perennial that thumbs its nose at the cold, heat, wildlife and poor soils of the Rocky Mountains, there’s a solultion. Add this dependable Perennial to your garden!
