Goldenrod and ragweed bloom at the same time of year – right about now – and while often both are blamed for seasonal sniffles and sneezes, it is only the wind-pollinated ragweed, with its small green flowers, that causes allergy symptoms. Meanwhile, the pollen of the bright yellow goldenrod flowers is too heavy and sticky to float through the air; the plant relies on bees and butterflies for pollination.

Pollinators, too, rely on goldenrod. As local nonprofit Alliance for a Living Ocean notes, “Goldenrod is an important…