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Seaside Goldenrods Found in CNY
Going Green
Going Green: Seaside Goldenrods Found in CNY
Thriving populations of seaside goldenrod have been found in Central New York, a plant that was previously thought to have vanished from upstate New York.
The once abundant seaside goldenrod, plowed under by urban sprawl, is coming back in unlikely places like along heavily traveled highways and growing with very little soil.
ESF doctoral student Tony Eallonardo says in addition to promoting a native New York plant there are very exciting practical reasons to welcome it back.
“Seaside Goldenrod along with a handful of our other inland salt marsh plants would be ideal plant to utilize for planting in highway medians and other infiltration retention basins because of its high tolerance for salt and its low maintenance,” said Tony Eallonardo, SUNY ESF doctoral student.
In fact, once planted no maintenance at all, not even mowing like we have to do with traditional grassy highway medians.
Even better, this nectar haven for bees and other insects, also develop extensive root systems using a lot of water that can keep surface contaminants from reaching streams and lakes.
“We found a plant we think would thrive under urban storm runoff. There are engineering solutions to runoff problems and there are some more green solutions. We think this is a very inexpensive, low energy way of dealing some very serious urban runoff problems,” said Dr. Donald Leopold, SUNY-ESF.
While Dr. Donald Leopold and his research team work to plant more seaside goldenrod, he's also asking people to save and encourage any of the 15 varieties of goldenrod in New York because they're not a problem plant.
Goldenrod does not cause allergy problems. The public is convinced that goldenrod is a very serious cause of allergies and anxious to rip it up whenever they see it. The pollen on goldenrods is very heavy and it's transported only by bees so there's no way that it causes allergy problems.
