Zigzag Golderod gets its name for the way the stems "zigzag" from leaf to leaf. The small flowers appear in a cluster near the top of the plant in late spring to early summer. Mistakenly, goldenrods often get blamed for causing the dreaded hayfever. This is simply not true. Their pollen is quite large and sticky so as to better adhere to the body of visiting insects. Because of this, goldenrod pollen cannot become airborne and can never make its way into our sinuses.Goldenrods are important additions to the landscape, providing ecosystem services well into the fall when most other plant life is shutting down.