Today I will teach you how to identify Canada goldenrod!

A while ago, we posted a short Weibo post to share some information about the "Canada goldenrod" that is trending on the Internet. After that, we received many private messages from netizens every day. Most of them asked us if they saw a plant that looked like Canada goldenrod on the roadside and what to do with it.

OK, this is the origin of today's push. Today we will take advantage of the popularity of the "black and red top stream" - Canada goldenrod, and teach you how to identify Canada goldenrod and what to do when you encounter it.

Image from Weibo

This name sounds so random.

First, let’s get to know the protagonist.

Canada goldenrod, this is its real name, not just a random name. As for why it is called this name, it is probably because "a cheap name is easy to keep alive" - ​​the vitality of Canada goldenrod is indeed so tenacious that it is a headache.

Canada goldenrod

A yellow flower can produce more than 20,000 seeds, which are carried far away by the wind and passing animals. At the same time, the roots will continue to grow new plants during the growth process, devouring the surrounding land.

It's like grabbing both what's in front of you and what's far away!

Then someone asked: these little yellow flowers are growing vigorously, so don't we just save the effort of greening? Things are far from being as beautiful as imagined.

For example, you are living well at home, and a group of strangers suddenly rush into your house because no one can control you. They live in your house, steal your food, and have children like crazy. Soon, you will starve to death. The invasion of Canada goldenrod will starve to death our crops in the fields, and even the green shrubs that are poorly managed will die in large numbers when they encounter it.

Canada goldenrod is non-toxic and harmless to humans, but it is very harmful to farmland.

How to recognize the innocent locals

As mentioned before, recently many netizens have sent us private messages with photos, asking if what they saw was Canada thistle, in an attempt to contribute to the eradication of invasive species.

Then I clicked on the big picture and immediately wanted to shout “save the flowers from the knife” – that’s not Canada goldenrod, that’s goldenrod!!! (I felt like I was saying a tongue twister) Then I clicked on the comments and found that it had been burned clean.

Our goldenrod, with its carelessly given name, has not only lost its territory to invasive species, but has also been made a scapegoat. It is truly miserable.

When you encounter small yellow flowers on the road, how should you recognize them?

First of all, we have several species of goldenrod in our native land, which belong to the same genus as Canada goldenrod. For example, Solidago decurrens, Solidago pacifica, and Solidago virgaurea. These are all harmless native plants, and we don't need to distinguish them one by one. We just need to understand the difference between them and Canada goldenrod.

Solidago

There is one point of knowledge in the plant index that is most useful to us: the inflorescence branches of Canada goldenrod are usually curved, and the flowers all open in one direction. The inflorescence branches of other goldenrods are straight, and the flowers open in all directions.

This is quite obvious:

On the left is Canada goldenrod

The inflorescence of Canada goldenrod is like a comb on the left, with flowers blooming in one direction, while other goldenrods are more like the comb on the right, with flowers blooming in all directions. Image from: Xin Fuchen

At the same time, some auxiliary features can also be used to further determine the situation. For example, most Canada goldenrods are quite rampant and rampant, with relatively tall plants that can grow to almost two meters, covering a large area on the land, squeezing out other plants.

The native goldenrods are relatively short and weak, and perhaps with the "bully" as a foil, they all appear to be quite docile and sunny. The native goldenrods can also be used to make medicines, such as compound goldenrod spray.

Compound Solidago asiatica spray

Leave professional matters to professionals

These days, everyone has recognized the true face of Canada goldenrod, and has enthusiastically tried to destroy it in various ways, such as wrapping it up and burning it, or pulling it off and taking it home to arrange flowers, which is a way of recycling waste.

But are these treatments really effective enough?

That may not be the case. I actually saw on the Internet that people picked the Canada goldenrod that was in the fruiting period and took it home to arrange flowers. Half of the bunches of hairy fruit clusters and half of the bunches of flowers that have not yet withered are beautiful, but if the wind blows on the way home, you will become an "accomplice" in spreading its seeds!

Moreover, the process of cutting the flowers is just a superficial injury to the Canada goldenrod, which has a strong vitality. Even if you cut off all its above-ground parts, it can still continue to reproduce through the rhizomes underground, which is not a problem at all.

Rhizomes used by researchers to study the invasive potential of Canada goldenrod. Image credit: Wiley

So in daily life, we don't need to kill Canada goldenrod as soon as we see it. Professional matters should be left to professionals. So how can we help if we are interested? Who can we find?

Generally speaking, you can call 12345, or contact the local municipal consultation platform online. For example, people in Zhejiang can contact the "Zheliban" platform.

Image from Weibo

All we can say is that fighting biological invasions is a long-term battle.

We should first be clear in our minds that we cannot eat all the invasive species by eating alone! In terms of action, when you return to China, do not bring back any living creatures or seeds except yourself; do not release them randomly, such as red-eared sliders and golden apple snails. Also, if you see Canada goldenrod, please report it immediately.

Written by | Lin Sui

Some pictures are from | TuChong Creative

WeChat Editor | Happy

Source: Museum