This art was originally created for The Wandering Naturalist’s “The Golden Forb” podcast episodes (#s 136, 137, 138).

I hoped to convey some of the beauty of these flowers themselves, as well as the beauty of the ecosystem they are a part of.

This late season flower is not to be confused with the allergy-causing ragweed; goldenrod nectar is an important food source for the illustrated monarch butterflies, bumblebees, soldier beetle, hornet fly (harmless), and wasps (great golden sand digger).
The purplish gall here develops from gall fly larvae, and they themselves are a food source for the offspring of parasitoid wasps (black).