Sorting Goldenrod Fact from Fiction: Toxic Weed or Overlooked Forage?
- Buz Kloot, Ph.D.
- Aug 7
- 3 min read
We recently posted a video short of Pete Bauman talking about goldenrod on the July "Our Amazing Grasslands" video, and it took off! 110,000 plays and 1,000 likes in just 11 days. With that reach came a tidal wave of comments, and not surprisingly, many folks had strong opinions about goldenrod. They ranged from “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Let’s feed shoe leather” to “Spot on—my sheep will hit the goldenrod, sunflowers, amaranth, giant ragweed, and mares tail first.”
In between those extremes were dozens of goldenrod-curious folks—people asking honest questions like, “But do cattle eat goldenrod?” or “Isn’t goldenrod toxic?” Some commented that goldenrod is especially dangerous during the second trimester of pregnancy. Others swore their goats wouldn’t touch it, despite planting it for pollinators.
So let’s unpack this.
Sorting Out the Toxicity Question
Let’s start with what we’re talking about when we say “goldenrod.” If you’re in South Dakota or most of the eastern or central U.S., you’re almost certainly dealing with Solidago species—Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), Missouri goldenrod (Solidago missouriensis), and others. These are non-toxic native forbs. On the other hand, if you’re in parts of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, or Arizona, you may be dealing with rayless goldenrod—Haplopappus heterophyllus (also known as Isocoma pluriflora). That’s an entirely different plant, and yes, it is toxic.
Rayless goldenrod contains tremetol, a compound that can build up in an animal’s system and cause a condition known as "trembles." But here’s the key: according to USDA’s Poisonous Plants bulletins, livestock have to consume 1 to 1.5% of their body weight daily for two to three weeks for symptoms to show up. So ask yourself: what kind of grazing management allows animals to spend that long on a pasture where that’s the only thing to eat? This isn’t just a plant problem—it’s a management problem.
Pete Bauman and I talked about this exact point. We both agree that when animals are forced—say, midwinter in the Southwest with no other forage—then yes, toxic plants become dangerous. But on healthy pastures where animals have choices, it’s a different story entirely.
Knowing the Range (and Your Animals)
Fred Provenza talks often about how animals that are familiar with their home range behave differently than those that aren’t. In fact, he shared a story about a rancher who split his herd during drought—half stayed on their familiar range, and half were moved just one county over. The cattle on the new range suffered severe losses from locoweed, while the animals that stayed put were unaffected.
Why? Because the home herd knew the landscape. They knew what to eat and what to avoid. This same idea applies to goldenrod and other so-called weeds. Animals raised on a pasture with goldenrod (the Solidago kind) simply don’t overeat it. Even goats will learn what’s edible and what’s not—but that learning happens in the context of familiarity and choice.
Bottom Line
If you’re seeing goldenrod and are worried about toxicity, the first step is to get your ID right; the accompanying image may be of use to you. If it’s Solidago, you’re not dealing with a toxic plant. If it’s Rayless goldenrod (Haplopappus heterophyllus), then yes—take precautions, especially during limited forage seasons.
But before reaching for the herbicide jug, I’d echo Pete Bauman’s advice: ask why the weed is there in the first place. Spraying edible “weeds” is money you’ll never get back. Changing the plant community—through grazing management—is where the real return lies.
Coming up next, I’ll dig into the forage potential of goldenrod and what Pete has learned through years of observing cows graze it in South Dakota pastures. You might be surprised by what the protein tests show.
Our Podcast Series with Dr. Fred Provenza Podcasts:
Useful References
USDA/ARS “Poisonous Plants in the Western States,” Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 415 (discussion of tremetol risk and control recommendations).
NMSU Bulletin B 114: Rayless Goldenrod and Livestock Poisonings – describes biology, toxin, and control.
USDA ARS Poisonous Plant Research page on Rayless Goldenrod (Haplopappus heterophyllus): detailed toxicosis features and management.
USDA NRCS Plant Fact Sheets / Plant Guides for Solidago canadensis and S. missouriensis – forage palatability, habitat, and uses.
SDSU’s Pete Bauman article: Plan Now to Control Weeds by Grazing Next Season.
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