Goldenrods: Used By Many Animals

Here is an incomplete list of the many different types of animals that rely on goldenrod.

Insects that Pollinate Goldenrod

1. Moths
2. Butterflies
3. Bees, including bumblebees and other bees native to the U.S.
4. Wasps
5. Beetles
6. Flies

Each type of insect has different species that may use goldenrods. Finding and listing them all out would be too much for a short overview like this article.

Animals that Eat the Leaves of Goldenrod

1. Rabbits
   

Garden Experiments says that turkey and ruffed grouse eat goldenrod leaves, but I couldn’t find other sources to confirm this.
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White-tailed deer may eat the leaves of goldenrod, but it’s not their preferred food.

Animals That Eat the Seeds of Goldenrod

1. Foxes
   
2. Grouse
   
3. Opossums
   
4. Pheasant
   
5. Racoons
   
6. Songbirds
   
7. Squirrels
   

This list comes from Garden Experiments, but I couldn’t find other sites to confirm that all these animals eat goldenrod seeds. It seems likely that these animals would eat goldenrod seeds, though. I know the gray squirrels in my backyard will eat almost anything plant based.

Animals That Live On Goldenrod as Larvae or Nymphs

1. Flies, various species, like the Goldenrod Gall Fly
   
2. Moths and butterflies, various species
   

You can go down the rabbit hole of Wikipedia looking at the different species of insects that use goldenrod.

Animals That Eat Insects Living On Goldenrod

1. Assassin bugs
   
2. Parasitic wasps
   
3. Chickadees 
   
4. Spiders
   
5. Woodpeckers
   

Sources

Backyard Ecology
Donna L. Long
Garden Experiments
Missouri Department of Conservation
The National Wildlife Federation
Wisconsin Horticulture