Sun Medicine and Labor Day

-->

Summer 2014 is rapidly closing down and Labor Day is right around the corner on September 1. A common refrain heard just about everywhere: "Wow, summer sure flew by fast!"
Another common refrain during the summer of 2014: "We need more Sun and heat!"
For home gardeners and farmers, the wet and cool summer of 2014 had it's ups and downs.
It seems the luckiest were the anglers, or so it seems. The fishing has been good.

Whatever, we got what we got and now it's Labor Day, a day dedicated to the achievements of American Workers. The first celebrations of American workers dates back to 1882; then, a few short years afterwards, in 1894, Congress approved the holiday as a national holiday (back then Congress actually did something!).

Shop Amazon - Celebrate Labor Day

The Important Solidago Family - Sun Medicine

The fields and meadows are turning gold as the important goldenrods are beginning to bloom. Goldenrods, the genus solidago, are important to honeybees, other native bees, the amazing praying mantis, spiders, gall flies and a whole host of other insects.
The goldenrod pollen and nectar provide the final summer feast for the endangered honeybees and many of the other insects. For the honeybees in particular, the golden flowers provide the necessary food for the bees throughout the winter.
Solidago is a latin term which means becoming whole again. Native Americans and the first settlers understood and used the goldenrods as a medicinal plant to make a tonic or tea to treat wounds and rashes, colds, flu and digestive problems.
Goldenrods were also important in American history. Following the Boston Tea Party, the early colonists used goldenrod tea which was then called "Liberty Tea".
In many regions of Appalachia, a tea brewed from the leaves, called "Blue Mountain Tea", is used to alleviate exhaustion and to help treat cold and flu symptoms. The tea made from the leaves has a somewhat anise flavor. The medicinal aspects of the goldenrod were also known to many Native American peoples, some who called it sun medicine.
But the goldenrods, today are vital to our endangered honey bees, which are facing numerous threats from mites and pesticides. Goldenrods have sort of a bad reputation as a "weed", but stand quietly in a patch and watch all the amazing activity.




Just for the Heck of It

The Goldenrod Gall Fly lives it's entire life on the goldenrod plant. Ever notice the large, round bumps on the stem of a goldenrod in the fall. This is where the female gall fly deposited her eggs. The larvae form something like an anti freeze to survive through the winter, if they can escape from any number of birds and beetles which find them to be a tasty treat.

Now it's Time to get the Winter Wood Cut and Stacked - It's almost Labor Day!

For more northwestern Pennsylvania news updates visit GoCrawford