Canada goldenrod is being hunted down by the entire Internet again? Not unfair! Report it immediately if you see it

Attention! Attention! It is the flowering season of Canada goldenrod, which leaves no grass growing wherever it blooms.

Recently, some netizens have discovered traces of "Canada goldenrod" in Suzhou and other places.

Citizens saw "Canada goldenrod" in Zhangjiagang, Suzhou.

If you don’t know the origin of this flower, you might think it is beautiful, but be aware that you should not be “fooled” by its appearance.

Why is Canada goldenrod so "notorious"?

Solidago canadensis belongs to the genus Solidago of the Asteraceae family. It is also known as the yellow warbler and goldenrod. It is native to North America. Because of its bright flowers, it is often used as a matching flower in flower arrangements. It was introduced to Shanghai and Nanjing in my country as a garden ornamental plant in the mid-1930s. In the 1980s, it gradually spread to river beaches, wastelands, roadsides and some farmlands, and gradually became a common malignant weed in my country, seriously damaging the diversity and ecological balance of native plants.

The branches of Canada goldenrod are thick and generally unbranched at the bottom. Its leaves are easy to identify, lanceolate or linear needle-shaped, alternate, gradually pointed at the top, and mostly three-veined with serrated edges. It has a scorpion tail panicle, which is composed of many curved inflorescence branches and unilateral capitula, and has branches extending outward. Canada goldenrod grows in a wide range, from hillside woodlands to swamps. It reproduces by rhizomes and seeds, and has low requirements for the growth environment. It likes the sun but not shade, is drought-resistant, and can tolerate poorer soil.

Canada goldenrod was originally introduced to my country as an ornamental plant, but it was not expected to be so harmful. Its root secretions can inhibit the growth of other plants in the invaded area, compete with surrounding plants for sunlight, space, nutrients, and water, destroy the ecology, and eat away at the fertility of surrounding plants until the surrounding plants die. It can destroy the landscape of roads and gardens, and green shrubs planted in green areas with relatively extensive management will die in large areas once they encounter it. At the same time, Canada goldenrod can eat up dryland crops, causing great harm to the yield and quality of crops.

The reason why Canada goldenrod is so harmful is mainly because of its terrifying reproductive ability. Its seeds are spread to all directions with the help of "air power" such as wind and birds. In the 1980s, they were found in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Guangdong, Guangxi and other places in my country. Moreover, they are spreading to other places suitable for growth at an astonishing speed. Canada goldenrod not only has more than 20,000 seeds per plant, but also has a peculiar way of reproduction - root reproduction, which means that new plants will be formed on the roots, weaving a super powerful reproduction network. According to the investigation of relevant experts in Zhejiang, a small group of 6 Canada goldenrod plants turned into a large group of more than 1,400 plants 8 years later, and the plants grew taller and taller year by year, and the stems became thicker year by year. At the same time, its population has also increased very rapidly.

Today, Canada goldenrod has seriously damaged the natural vegetation and ecosystems in many areas of my country, posing a great threat to agricultural and forestry crops, and has been listed as a key prevention and control target by the agricultural and forestry departments. Therefore, once Canada goldenrod is found, it needs to be completely eradicated. First, cut off its flower spikes, then pull out the above-ground parts and rhizomes, and burn them in a centralized manner to prevent the spread of seeds, rhizomes and pulled-out plant remains; and for plants growing sporadically in campuses, courtyards, residential areas and urban vacant lots, they should be manually pulled out or cut before the seeds mature, and the underground rhizomes should be thoroughly dug out and destroyed in a centralized manner to prevent perennial root regeneration.

How to distinguish between native goldenrod and Canada goldenrod?

Canada goldenrod

Solidago

Canada goldenrod has thick, terminal, multi-branched flower branches

Goldenrod is small, with a single, unbranched flower branch at the top.

Source: Science Popularization China Comprehensive People's Daily Science Popularization, News Square, Famous City Suzhou Network, People's Daily, Science Popularization Suzhou