Paper Wasp On Goldenrod

October 2, 2025

Goldenrod (Solidago) produces beautiful, prolific blooms in late summer and early autumn. Its pollen is heavy, sticky, and not airborne like the green flowers of Ragweed (Ambrosia). In order to have an allergic reaction to Goldenrod you would in all probability have physical contact with it, and not simply by breathing in the pollen.

Here a Paper Wasp (Polistinae) is dining on the nectar of Goldenrod. There are over 100 species of Goldenrod that are native to North America, and they play an important role in providing nectar and pollen to pollinators late in the season when there are few flowers blooming.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.