Surprisingly, both goldenrod and ragweed have medicinal uses.
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Goldenrod is well known for its ability to treat urinary tract disorders and its efficacy as a UTI herb. It’s also used in Germany as an agent to increase urine as a treatment for kidney and bladder inflammation (Wichtl and Bisset, 1994).
The flowers and leaves of goldenrod are edible. The flowers make a cheery garnish on salads, and both the flowers and leaves (fresh or dried) are used to make tea. The leaves can also be cooked like spinach or added to soups, stews, or casseroles, and can also be blanched and frozen for later use in soups, stews, or stir fry throughout the winter or spring.
Goldenrod has also been used to treat tuberculosis, diabetes, enlargement of the liver, gout, hemorrhoids, internal bleeding, asthma, and arthritis.
Ragweed can be used as an astringent, antiseptic, emetic, emollient, and fever reducer. Herbalists use ragweed to relieve nausea, menstrual discomfort, and fever, and some Native American tribes have used the seeds as a source of nourishment and the root of the ragweed plant to make a tea that works as a laxative. The juice from crushed ragweed leaves can be applied to insect bites or poison ivy rashes to soothe irritation.