It's Not the Goldenrod

It's getting to be goldenrod and ragweed season again.

Remember: if you have allergies at this time of year, it's ragweed you're reacting to, not goldenrod.

Ragweed, with its green flowers (that don't look like "flowers" to us), has light pollen that's wind-born (up to 400 miles!). Goldenrod, like many other colorful and attractive flowers, has heavy, sticky pollen that has to be moved around by pollenizing insects. It doesn't float around in the air, causing allergies. 

The confusion between ragweed and goldenrod is one small piece of misinformation in our world, but one that drives me up the wall.