# Goldenrod blooming . . .



## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

In my neck of the woods it is not uncommon to see a couple of goldenrod plants bloom early this time of year. Few and far between right now.

Last night I had to drive over to Brattleboro which is about 30 miles south of me and saw whole fields of it just starting. Let the flow begin again!!!


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Saw just a cpl of plants in bloom here too, but not a field.


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## WWW (Feb 6, 2011)

There is a field of goldenrod coming into bloom just across the road from me, I can already smell the dirty gym socks.:applause:


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

Our log roads are full of it and my sinuses are protesting. Not seeing the girls on it though...


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

your sinuses aren't reacting to goldenrod, not an airborn pollen. Something else like ragweed probably.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

maybe aster.


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

Mark is spot-on...golden rod pollen is heavy/moist and mostly falls to the ground, it is transported by insects. People blame it for their allergies because it's so easy to spot and it blooms about the same time their allergies kick in from the ragweed. Golden rod is a "good" weed. Ragweed, on the other hand "blooms" about the same time and it's pollen is entirely different from golden rod pollen...ragweed pollen is very light and dry, is easily carried by a breeze and consists of pollen grains with sharp spikes that absolutely will tear up a person's sinuses. The ragweed plant is inconspicuous and most folks don't recognize it...just part of the "green" scenery. I've seen them 8' tall down here and if given free range will create a large stand. The leaves remind me of okra plants. I recommend anybody interested to google images of ragweed...you may be surprised to find you have a forest of it nearby on a right-of-way, edge of a field, beside that abandoned house, etc.,.

Ed


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

Barry said:


> maybe aster.


What are you, some kind of mind reader? 

Right after posting my message about the ragweed I got to thinking about aster. Last year my wife and I stopped beside the road coming from church and I bagged up a lot of seedheads from some wild white aster growing beside the road. On the drive back home (2 miles) my wife's eyes began to water.  After that I didn't pick any aster while she was with me. 

Ed


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## rharlow (Mar 20, 2011)

saw a couple blooming here as well. Also, clethra is starting to bloom. Seems like the clethra is about a month early


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## carp84 (Jul 17, 2012)

Just started a few days ago here but is very spotty right now.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

Though I couldn't begin to tell one from another, there are 19 species of Goldenrod native to Maine. The early blooming ones don't trigger the heavy flow that later, more prolific crops do. The early ones seem to bloom just as the summer rains go vacation. 

Wayne


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Barry said:


> maybe aster.


saw some white asters in bloom too.


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## Captainfester (May 1, 2012)

how long do you anticipate being on any type of flow in NY? im curious to judge when ours might end in CT


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

NY is a big state. It has areas south and north of CT.


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## Ben Franklin (May 3, 2011)

I too realized there were different species of goldenrod, and the bees do not work some of them. We have some in bloom here and the bees are working the sweet clover and white clover.


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## paintingpreacher (Jul 29, 2006)

Saw goldenrod blooming in my area this week also. It is about one month early but it seems everything has been early this year. Fruit trees have been 3-4 weeks early also.


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## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

In the last 48 hours the bees have started bringing in tons of that beautiful yellow pollen. More and more blooming goldenrod every day. Knotweed hasn't even started producing buds yet. Fun year.


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## windfall (Dec 8, 2010)

Keth,
for us there seemed to be no break in nectar coming in at all, but pollen seemed to be scarce until just a few days ago and they still are not bringing much in. I watched several hives burn through most of their pollen stores over the last few weeks, while at the same time had to keep pulling capped frames of honey to give space.

Lots of golden rod budding, joe pye weed very close, burdock opening, and much else....that rain sure helped 2 days ago, did you get it down south?


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## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

Yeah, we got the rain. Pollen was scarce for a couple of weeks but coming in strong now. Very short break between the end of milkweed and sumac and whatever they are working now. A good year. Knock on wood!


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Pretty good patch of goldenrod seen today. Seems early. Don't know if it really is or not. Forecast of the seasons end.


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## Kettle Ridge (Jan 27, 2012)

Took off as many spring honey capped frames as I could find today to get ready for the goldenrod. Lots of yellow here, nicely mixed with the pink swamp milkweed. Anyone know if bees like Joe Pye Weed? Got a bunch of that starting to bloom now.


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## windfall (Dec 8, 2010)

was just out adding supers on some nucs and sure enough lots of bright yellow coming in, none of that 2 days ago just some grey and off white. Don't know if it is golden rod or something else, there are a couple wildflowers going of strong this year that I have never noticed in abundance before....need to look them up.


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## nortpete (Aug 10, 2010)

I saw my first goldenrod and purple aster in bloom here today in PA. I am not sure if this is a good thing or not. The goldenrod and aster are our last nectar producing plants to bloom and that is what our bees over winter on. If this bloom does not last long then I will be feeding for a long time. Our goldenrod and aster does not normally bloom until mid September.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

For me in my area, the goldenrod looks to be about a week away from seeing the first blooms. This is not a good sign because I don't normally get anything from goldenrod and asters and there is going to be a long period of decent weather left after they are done blooming, so I'll be feeding like crazy for a long, long time. Our honeyflow is over for the year because of the drought, and its only mid July, this is not good. John


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## jadell (Jun 19, 2011)

sqkcrk said:


> Pretty good patch of goldenrod seen today. Seems early. Don't know if it really is or not. Forecast of the seasons end.


It always breaks my wife's heart to see it because fall is around the corner. Don't know what to think this year because fall definitely isn't around the corner for us! I saw a few buds on a few GR plants this week.


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

The early Golden Rod is blooming here too. Three weeks ago I had colonies bordering on starvation and then finally the flow started! I'm just back from vacation, and will do a more complete inspection today. I did check that the electric fences are up and working and that bears didn't take out the hives while I was gone. I'm curious too about the nucs I created the day before I left. Queen shipments happen when they happen.


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## chickenia (Apr 13, 2012)

Goldenrod is nature's remedy for ragweed, which is usually close by - Goldenrod gets the blame LOTS of the time though  Goldenrod honey would be great for allergies.


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## chaindrivecharlie (Apr 6, 2008)

Goldenrod is just starting here too, but we are still in summer bloom also. We had a short drought for about 8 weeks. But the white clover, queenannes lace, and alfalfa have carried us through rather well. And they have went in to bloom again after the rains came back for round 2. Looks like a abundant crop here this year!


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## dnichols (May 28, 2012)

Queen Ann's lace and phlox are in full bloom. Some asters and the golden rod are really popping. Have not seen any bees on them though. Sort of strange... No just wish they would cap so I could put another super on.


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## heus (Apr 16, 2012)

Bees really work Queen Ann's Lace? We have a ton of it here and Ive never seen a bee on it.


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## dnichols (May 28, 2012)

To be honest I am not sure. Folks talk about it being great but I have not seen the bees on it myself in any force. I imagine if there is something else around that tickles their fancy that's what they'll hang on. Every bee is different...


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Some of the plains Indians were sideline farmers. When the Goldenrod started blooming, it was time to wrap up the summer hunt and go home to harvest the crops before they froze. The bloom is pretty reliably six weeks before frost in my country. When I look at the pitiful amount of surplus on my hives that tells a sad story. A guy asked a large commercial beek in this area how his crop was and he said three weeks from a disaster. Whatever he gets will be pulled before the people come to acquire the shaker bees he contracted out. Not much on his hives either yet and it is hot and dry.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

Vance G said:


> ...The bloom is pretty reliably six weeks before frost in my country...


Wow. Goldenrod is starting here now, and we're probably 10 weeks from frost.

Adam


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## Creekside (Dec 29, 2011)

Here in Ontario we have I believe around 30 species of goldenrod. I am at the cottage in huntsville, Ontario and there are fields of it blooming. Back home in southern Ontario I was just starting to notice it. Seems like it is a couple weeks early.


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## Northwest PA Beekeeper (Mar 28, 2012)

nortpete said:


> I saw my first goldenrod and purple aster in bloom here today in PA. I am not sure if this is a good thing or not. The goldenrod and aster are our last nectar producing plants to bloom and that is what our bees over winter on. If this bloom does not last long then I will be feeding for a long time. Our goldenrod and aster does not normally bloom until mid September.


Yes, the early goldenrod started blooming last week - and I see some whole fields are soon going to be blooming. It is rather early - as most times Goldenrod is in full bloom right around when school starts - usually the first week in September. I've even gone past my hives in the past couple of days and I swear I could smell a slight "gym socks" smell.


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

I think the GR is way early. I think there are 5 or 7 species that bloom over the period of time we call the fall flow. I see the bees work it but never have made a species specific ID. It is of concern. The bees need the feed. They used up a lot of stores in the dearth and I wonder if the brood timing is right coming out of the dearth. Build up for the flow but the flow is already here and population is lower. Lots of capped brood, but that means lost forage numbers during flow.
Bees do not like taking syrup when a flow is on, so if they need stores, this may shorten the amount of time in the fall for feeding before temps drop and they can't process it. Maybe I'm over analyzing this. I took no honey this year and i am worried. I put some 2:1 on two of my new hives. I'll see how they take it.
I have seen bees work Queen Anns lace. That is all burned up here. Hercules Club(devils walking stick) is starting with the G rod. Saw some spice bush but that I think is just a messed up plant Asters too. So, I think it is on in my neck of the woods. We are finally getting some rain, but not near enough.
So, guess I will have to take from the one percent and give to the lower middle class


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## Captainfester (May 1, 2012)

what was flowinga couple weeks ago seems to have stopped. the hive is consuming honey that they stored to build out new comb up top and not much coming in. Lots of new orange and yellow pollen seems to just be starting. 


im really hope this turns around and we end up with any crop this year


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## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

You should be seeing knotweed blooming soon. That will help!


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## Captainfester (May 1, 2012)

i really have to up my botany skills.... i dont know many plants.


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## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_knotweed


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## garyk1398 (Jan 25, 2011)

Just starting to bloom here.


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## Rob Hughes (Apr 23, 2012)

In my area the goldenrod has been coming out steadily for the past 10 days or so and I'd say is now about 35%-40% in bloom. Some of the later types are not opening yet. The season here is about 10 days ahead of normal this year.
Joe Pye weed...the bees are mobbing it, I saw four kinds of bees going crazy on it at once, two kinds of bumbles, mason bees, and honey bees. Q. Anne's lace..my bees have been coming in with baskets full of a very pale yellow pollen and I suspect that this is the source.

It's interesting how many of the invasive plants labelled as nasties are good for bees, such as purple loosestrife, Japanese knotweed, and spotted knapweed . I have a patch of japanese knotweed near my place, it usually blooms about the middle of August, and when it does every species of bee, wasp and fly all show up going crazy on the flowers. 

Rob


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## Eddie Honey (May 30, 2011)

Goldenrod has just started to bloom here in S Jersey this week. There is definately a heavy flow going on right now. Swamp Mallow and Sweet Pepperbush is also in full bloom. Three weeks ago I had nucs that were near starvation so I fed them candy to get them through. The candy is gone and there is nectar in the nucs now.


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

Sweet pepper bush,,,that is what it is, not spice bush. Thanks


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

saw the bees working goldenrod for the first time today. Been blooming for a week or so.


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## Tohya (Apr 6, 2011)

Goldenrod is starting to bloom here.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Keth Comollo said:


> You should be seeing knotweed blooming soon. That will help!


budding up here but no blooms yet


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