Because so many insects visit them, the flowers are also favorite places for predators like crab spiders and ambush bugs. They wait quietly for insects to come near enough to be caught and eaten. Another plant in the Compositae that will soon begin to bloom is the great ragweed. Much different than the goldenrod, great ragweed may grow to heights of 15 feet. The blossom of this plant is green and definitely not showy.
Most people are unaware that it even has a blossom.
Like all flowering plants, goldenrods and ragweed need to be pollinated in order to produce seeds. Goldenrod is pollinated by insects. This means that the pollen is sticky, so it will adhere to insects and be successfully transferred to other plants. Ragweed, on the other hand, is pollinated by wind. This difference is the source of a common misunderstanding.