Sunday, September 19, 2010

Mosaic Monday: Goldenrod



Some of you probably cultivate goldenrod in your gardens. It's a beautiful late summer perennial that grows wild in the meadows near our Little Red House. Goldenrod is a member of the Aster family, and it is a lovely companion to the purple autumn aster.

Goldenrod is often confused with ragweed, which causes hay fever. I checked it out on Wikipedia, and learned some interesting facts. Did you know that parts of the plant are edible, and it is sometimes brewed as a tea? Goldenrod is used in herbal remedies as a kidney tonic. And most interesting of all, Thomas Edison experimented with extracting rubber from goldenrod:

"Inventor Thomas Edison experimented with goldenrod to produce rubber, which it contains naturally.[7] Edison created a fertilization and cultivation process to maximize the rubber content in each plant. His experiments produced a 12-foot-tall (3.7 m) plant that yielded as much as 12 percent rubber. The rubber produced through Edison's process was resilient and long lasting. The tires on the Model T given to him by his friend Henry Fordwere made from goldenrod. Examples of the rubber can still be found in his laboratory, elastic and rot free after more than 50 years. However, even though Edison turned his research over to the U.S. government a year before his death, goldenrod rubber never went beyond the experimental stage."

How cool is that?!




I've often tried to photograph goldenrod with little success, but this time I had a little helpful companion. Isn't he adorable? I'm not sure what kind of bug this is, so if anyone can identify him, I'd love to hear about it. :)

Now let's have some mosaic fun! Here are the instructions:
1. Publish your Mosaic Monday post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the static link for your post. The static link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate inlinkz box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Mosaic Monday post so that your readers can find other wonderful mosaics.
That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: mrcarroll(at)optonline.

60 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh! The colors are amazing!!!


    m ^..^

    ReplyDelete
  2. Goldenrod certainly was named correctly! Bright and beautiful. Like the little guy who helped with the images!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I didn't know anything about goldenrod, but it sure is pretty in your photo's! Beautiful shots!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your photos are just stunning ... amazing clarity! Goldenrod is not a plant I'm familiar with, but I do so love the bright colour of it. That creature is just stunning too ... what fantastic markings! Unfortunately I'm not familiar with it either.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well that's interesting Mary. I thought Goldenrod was the stuff that made you sneeze! Glad you did the leg work for me since I have some photos to post ; )

    That is one weird lookin' bug! And no, I have no idea what it is! Excellent mosaics!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow, I did know you could get rubber from goldenrod, how cool is that. Fabulous photos Mary:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. What gorgeous photos, Mary. I have absolutely no idea what that bug is but he is wonderful too and adds the right touch to your gorgeous photos.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Mary: Your little friend is a locust borer. It says in my identification book that the adult feeds on Goldenrod in the fall. They lay their eggs in locust trees. He is pretty but probably not nice. Your photos are though.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful mosaic! The colors of yellow, the lighting and the bees....this mosaic is really art.
    ♥, Susan

    ReplyDelete
  10. WOW, Mary! The colors are so bright and pretty. Interesting facts on the Goldenrod.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What gorgeous pictures! So bright and vibrant!
    Patricia :o)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Gorgeous photos with your beetle! He's stunning, although harmful to young or stressed black locust trees :(

    ReplyDelete
  13. Absolutely breathtaking! And your "little friend" is just as exquisite as the goldenrod! Wishing you a grand week! Cathy

    ReplyDelete
  14. That was very interesting. And I'm glad that you've cleared up the misconception about Goldenrod and Ragweed. Tonight, as we were driving, I saw mist settling over a field of Goldenrod with the sunset behind. It would've been a beautiful shot, but I couldn't put my hubby through the "STOP!" These sunny photos with your sunny star and sidekick are wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Beautiful goldenrod Mary and my favourite cultivar is 'Fireworks'. I do admire the wild plants that grow here too with the asters.
    The insect you captured certainly adds to the pizazz of the autumn colours.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Mary
    What wonderful photos! The little bug looks like he is color coordinated with the goldenrod plant...I especially love the last photo!
    ♥ Pat

    ReplyDelete
  17. You are really an amazing photographer, Mary. These are beautiful!...Christine

    ReplyDelete
  18. Mary this is Gorgeous, I love the color .
    Beautiful work.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Mary! Oh, again, you take the most beautiful photos! The goldenrod is gorgeous and the color is amazing! The little helper is so crystal clear. I hope you zoomed in and wasn't really standing that close! :)
    I'm allergic to bee stings and I always get a little nervous!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Those are the most amazing images! What vibrant colors! Thank you for sharing about Goldenrod. Have a blessed week Mary!

    ReplyDelete
  21. My linky connection will not show up so I am leaving it here. Linky tells me it is there, but I cannot see it.

    http://buttonsforbaga.blogspot.com/2010/09/mosaic-monday.html

    Love the Goldenrod and the bee-like creature. He or she is having quite a nice time. The yellow is so vivid.

    Hugs,
    Genie @ buttonsforbaga

    ReplyDelete
  22. Beautiful close up of the bee in the Goldenrod. What a beautiful combination!

    ReplyDelete
  23. This is beautiful. Words can't describe. Oh, Mary! And chock full of information, too.

    ReplyDelete
  24. what incredible photos. I love them. I made it to a beach side modern art exhibition.
    It was interesting.
    strange but interesting....

    ReplyDelete
  25. I agree with everyone else that the photos are awesome. Looks like no one was able to tell you exactly what kind of insect that it. It is beautiful. Isn't nature wonderful? Thanks for hosting Mary and have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Mary,
    Thanks for hosting MM. Your mosaic is so pretty with all the yellows! Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Mary,
    How lovely. I love the way the background is so soft and the detail in the bee is perfect.
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  28. Beautiful pics! Thank you for sharing with your readers that goldenrod is not the same thing as ragweed! I don't know how that story got started in the first place. Goldenrod is beautiful and it helps the butterflies as they migrate... unlike ragweed which just looks awful.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Beautiful colors and photos. Goldenrod and Ragweed both make me sneeze. I love the colors though.
    QMM

    ReplyDelete
  30. Great photos and a lot of interesting information - thanks for sharing with us.
    Hope to join in again next week.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Never would have put goldenrod and rubber together! Thanks for the info, never know when it will come in handy.
    Beautiful pictures too!
    Have a great week!
    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  32. Wow to open your blog, what a nice MM, looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Lovely photos. The hills here are awash with Golden Rod.

    ReplyDelete
  34. What amazing photography it this post! Absolutely breathtaking macro shots. I love the last one especially.

    ReplyDelete
  35. stunning photography as always. I love catching up on Mondays to see your beautiful photography. Thank you again.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Gorgeous photos of the goldenrod and the amazing little bug. The yellows are so vibrant.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hi Mary,
    Amazing photos as always!!!

    Thank you for hosting,
    Carolyn

    ReplyDelete
  38. Beautiful goldenrod collage, and yes, the insect does bring "life" to it :) I think goldenrod is mostly seen as a weed here, I do know from my parents house where no one lives any more that it quickly takes over the whole garden!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Oh my gosh, my eyes hurt that yellow is so bright. Wonderful pictures. I think that little bug just got out of jail--stripes and all. LOL
    MB

    ReplyDelete
  40. You create the lovliests mosiacs!!!!
    Wow! This is beautiful..and the colours are fab!!

    Deborah :)

    ReplyDelete
  41. Very, very nice, Mary. I like that little bug and your information about golden rod and rag weed....you've reminded me of something that I wanted to check up on {thank you}

    ReplyDelete
  42. Rubber from Goldenrod? I love it! Leave it to Thomas Edison, the Wizard of Menlo Park, to come up with that. (I for one am sad to see his lovely light bulbs eclipsed, but I'm a dinosaur.)

    I love goldenrod, and it's gotten a bad rap for so long as the culprit in autumn sneezing, but it's not. As for the critter ... a Tigger Bug?

    He's amazing, whatever he is! Love his fashion sense.
    Enjoy this gorgeous day!
    Cass

    ReplyDelete
  43. Thank you for the lesson on Rubber....wow that Thomas Edison was quite adept at thinking outside the box, huh?

    ReplyDelete
  44. Photos just don't get any better than this.
    Just lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  45. What beautiful photos! I love the way you can see some of the detail of the beetle antennae and the texture of the exoskeleton and some of the blooms. You've got quite the eye! Thanks for hosting such a fun event!

    ReplyDelete
  46. I love the gorgeous yellow in this mosaic...it is stunning and the bug is like icing on the cake...he is the perfect "cake Topper"!!!

    ReplyDelete
  47. I love the way you put the pictures in your mosaic. Bravo, it's really beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  48. wonderful color - and yes, i've steered clear of it because of the whole ragweed confusion

    ReplyDelete
  49. What an amazingly gorgeous mosaic! Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Amazing color! What a beautiful mosaic.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Your photos are gorgeous...they are glowing!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Love the macro shots! I had to do a double take to notice the bug wasn't just a regular hornet, and had an ah ha! moment when I saw the beetle shape. The markings just had me assuming. Good that somebody above could "name that bug" for you.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Beautiful. Bright and alive and wonderful.
    And the music is nice too.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Very cool factoid Mary. I love Goldenrod and cringe when it is maligned...gorgeous fields of it in Vermont last month.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Wow! This makes my respect for the weed grow! It IS beautiful! It's in the meadow and there is such a golden glow over the huge clump of it.

    Thank you for this fascinating and, inspiring to look at, post!!!

    Love, Katy

    ReplyDelete
  56. I have learned a lot about goldenrod here today...but most importantly about how beautiful you make it:)

    ReplyDelete
  57. Iam from Turkey.I love your photos.they are wonderful. füsun

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment. I love to hear what you have to say!