Goldenrod?

[moog5050]

Is this goldenrod?   Field of it behind my house.  The deer cross there regularly but very tough to see.   Just the occasional heads bobbing as they move. 

[stubborn1VT]

Yep.  Makes for good cover, but otherwise not useful for mammals.  Honey bees, butterflies and moths like it too.  

[moog5050]

26 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

Yep.  Makes for good cover, but otherwise not useful for mammals.  Honey bees, butterflies and moths like it too.  

Makes sense.  We have lots of the 3 mentioned.  

[stubborn1VT]

This time of the year the bees are into it pretty heavy.  I'm told that it makes their honey darker and "spicier".  I cannot confirm the last part.

[Doc]

Lots of pollen in that stuff too as those of us susceptible to hay fever can attest to.

[wolc123]

Goldenrod always seems to take over a field if you do not cut it for a season.  I usually let a small field or two go uncut every year and the deer definitely like to bed in that stuff.   After the shooting starts in the fall, they seldom venture out into it during the daylight hours.   

[growalot]

Yes and I mentioned it a lot last year ,because of the neighbors sanctuary...it is where the deer hang out during the day on this hill...I had them mowing trails all through it when they decided to let their fields go years ago...now it's broken golden rod with trails of wild clover and timothy + grasses the deer pack in there.

 I've been walking the grandpups at night away from the house for "potty" and even though the nights have been wonderfully clear...my head lamp shows a light "Mist" in the air...pollen from the golden rod and I believe the late corn pollen that's left....

[G-Man]

Actually deer love it and do eat it.. Always think of what you lose before you turn under that fallow field for the almighty food plot.. That goldenrod is dual purpose and you May lose a bedding / staging area. And push the deer right into the neighbors and they will come and eat your food plot at night....

[growalot]

No shite!...lol

 This is why I put in that hay field mix in the front goat pasture...unfortunately golden rod wasn't the weed that invaded that area it was the Persian carpet weed.  this choked out everything but my clover...so in order to at least save that, I had to mow it 4 times this summer to keep the weed down and the clover stimulated...Lost everything else. the clover is doing well considering and I hope it makes it through the winter....and grows fast enough in the spring to beat the weed It will get a frost seeding this year and I'll try a pasture down the road again. They love hanging in timothy as well.

Edited September 17, 2017 by growalot

[turkeyfeathers]

4 hours ago, Doc said:

Lots of pollen in that stuff too as those of us susceptible to hay fever can attest to.

Little known fact 

"Goldenrod blooms at the same time that ragweed does, but it is insect-pollinated [as opposed to wind-pollinated] and is not a significant allergen for most individuals,” Gordon says. “The bright goldenrod flower, however, does alert everyone that the more inconspicuous ragweed is also blooming."

[stubborn1VT]

Deer might eat it when it's small, along with almost every other plant, but I don't believe they eat it once it's bigger.  I've never seen a deer eat goldenrod.  Not saying it doesn't happen, but I wouldn't consider it palatable compared to any number of other native plants.  I used to brush-hog trails through tall goldenrod.  The deer fed on the grasses that grew up, used the paths for travel, and still felt secure with the rest of the goldenrod for cover.  It was fun to watch all of this from a treestand in October.

[stoneam2006]

Those big goldenrod fields are fun to push surfing gun season especially if you have any type of bushes scattered throughout as they will bed down tight and you will need to step on them. Killed many deer out of our goldenrod fields

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[moog5050]

I don't hunt there.  Very residential area.  But fun to watch deer off the deck when I can see them.  Tough now.