Golden Rod (Solidago virgaurea)
Flowers: Late summer. Height: Up to 90cm (36in).
Also called Woundwort.
Medicinal: Valued for its astringent and antiseptic properties, it was one of the main wound remedies of the Middle Ages. Culpeper’s Complete Herbal (1653) stated it was long famous against inward hurts and bruises. Also known for its diuretic effect, it was a treatment for ‘strangury’ (cystitus) and for “increasing the flow of urine and dissolving stones”. Dioscorides, De Materia Medica (50AD).
