You might have seen this viral video (click to play above) floating around the internet these past few days. Uploaded to Facebook by Jennifer Henderson in New Jersey after her husband Eric Henderson tapped a tree with a digger loader and unleashed an allergy armageddon, the video shows puffs of pollen explode off the tree in an enormous cloud floating off to undoubtedly give someone itchy eyes and a fit of sneezes.
Jennifer Henderson captioned the video, “When my husband said the pollen’s bad, I probably should’ve taken his word for it. Crazy!”
It’s been a tough allergy season so far. With higher pollen levels and an anticipated longer duration of pollen floating through the air, many are feeling the unfortunate effects.
The key to helping you soothe your allergy symptoms? Might just be the last thing you would expect: goldenrod.
Now you might think that the goldenrod plant is in fact the culprit to many of your allergy sufferings. However, goldenrod is actually pollinated by insects instead of wind, and its heavy and sticky pollen prevents it from floating through the air like the offending pollen did in Henderson’s video.
In a recent interview, I spoke with herbalist Rosalee de la Forȇt about ways to naturally alleviate allergy symptoms and even get rid of allergies for good. And goldenrod is one of Rosalee’s go-to wild plants for relieving seasonal allergies.
Goldenrod is great at eliminating itchy red eyes, runny noses, sneezing, and cat dander allergies as well.
You can spot goldenrod by its tall spires and golden, yellow blooms. By using the goldenrod leaves and flowers to make a tea, you can help get rid of allergy symptoms. You’re able to buy organic goldenrod in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs or if you have a green thumb, goldenrod is native to Minnesota and can be easily grown in your own garden as they require minimal care: they need little watering, thrive in most soils, and are drought tolerant.
As a bonus, goldenrod’s benefits go far beyond helping your allergies. Goldenrod tea has seven times the antioxidant levels of green tea, is used medicinally to treat urinary tract infections and strengthen kidneys, and can relieve muscle pain and arthritis. Not too shabby.
How to make Goldenrod Tea
Directions:
- If using fresh goldenrod, chop up the leaves and flowers.
- Place 2 tbsp of fresh goldenrod or 1 tbsp of dried goldenrod into mug.
- Add 8 ounces of boiling water, cover and let steep for 20 minutes.
- Drink warm or cold per your preference.
- Enjoy.
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