Eric Lamont, the founder and president of the Long Island Botanical Society (and a fellow member of the SOFO board), sent me his key to the Long Island goldenrods enabling me to identify a common species that runs all along the woodland edges and even into the more open portions of the woods. This is a plant with rather delicate sprays of golden flowers but rough-textured stems and leaves. In fact, its common name is Rough-stemmed Goldenrod, otherwise known as Solidago rugosa or the wrinkled goldenrod.

Our other common goldenrod is Solidago sempervirens or Seaside Goldenrod and it is coming into bloom, a little behind rugosa. 'Sempervirens' means 'evergreen' and the name is well chosen. These plants were all in the direct path of the storm tide on Irene Sunday and they were all inundated with salt water. But Seaside Goldenrod is almost a succulent and it has the ability to withstand a lot of abuse and many of the plants seem to have recovered nicely. The flowers are a golden yellow and can be quite spectacular. If it were not for the old prejudice that connects goldenrod with hayfever, this would be one of our most celebrated wildflowers. The prejudice is urban folklore; goldenrods are insect pollinated (that's why the color is so striking) while ragweed, the true cause of hayfever suffering, has green flowers and is wind pollinated. It is ragweed pollen that sows confusion as it invisibly fills the air and the respiratory system while the innocuous and beautiful goldenrod blossoms only fill the eye.

Are there more goldenrods around? Now that I have Eric's key, I'll be looking out for them.

In the meanwhile, I have a great big clump of grass growing in the yard just outside the porch. Grasses are at least as difficult a goldenrod to ID. Here's a picture. Anyone know what it is?

Eric Salzman