I can still see the goldenrod swaying in the late summer breeze on my grandmother’s farm, its bright yellow tops lighting up the fields like little suns. I was thirteen, tagging along as she wandered out to gather it, her basket swinging. She’d caught me wincing after too much running around, my sides aching, and said, “This’ll help your kidneys settle.” She brewed me a tea that smelled like hay and tasted like the earth, and sure enough, I felt lighter by evening. That was her Cherokee way with goldenrod—a remedy I’m excited to share through naturalhealth.website.
My grandmother was part Cherokee, and she had a deep knowing about the plants around her farm. Growing up, I’d follow her through the seasons, watching her pick out medicine from the wild. Goldenrod was one she loved—those tall, golden spikes that people call weeds but she called helpers. She’d tell me how the Cherokee used it for kidney troubles, swelling, or just to flush things out when you felt off. It was her quiet way of keeping us steady, a lesson from her own mother, and she’d point it out every time we passed a patch.
What’s goldenrod’s trick? It’s a natural diuretic—full of flavonoids and saponins that get your kidneys moving and ease inflammation. The Cherokee brewed it into tea for urinary issues or to calm puffy hands and feet after hard work. My grandmother said it was like a broom for your insides, sweeping out what didn’t belong. She’d harvest it when the flowers were at their peak, drying some for winter but using it fresh when she could—it was her go-to for keeping us flowing right.
If you want to try it her way, it’s not hard. Look for goldenrod—Solidago species, with its feathery yellow blooms—and snip the tops when they’re bright (late summer’s best). Dry them or use them fresh; steep a tablespoon in a cup of hot water for 10-15 minutes, then strain. It’s grassy and a little bitter, but she’d say that’s how you know it’s working—honey’s fine if you need it. (Word of caution: skip it if you’re allergic to daisies or have kidney disease already—check with a doc to be safe.)
That day, as I sipped her goldenrod tea on the porch, she sat beside me, watching the fields glow in the fading light. “Keeps you balanced,” she said, and I felt it—her care, the plant, the moment. That’s what naturalhealth.website is about—holding onto her Cherokee wisdom, like goldenrod’s gentle strength. It’s still out there, shining in the wild, ready to lift us when we need it. Next time you’re feeling heavy, brew some up—and see her glow in every golden stalk.
Written by Jeff Gilder
