This is goldenrod (Solidago spp.), an edible native plant that is often unjustly dismissed as a mere weed. Medicinally, it’s been used for a wide variety of things, including the treatment of skin infections, colds, and gall bladder problems. Depending on how it’s prepared, it can also be an emetic or a sedative.
Spiritually, it’s useful for breaking love spells and clearing up crossed conditions affecting your love life. It’s also used in money drawing work.
But when you see one with this bulbous growth, rejoice, for what you have on your hands is the infamous Lucky Maggot Ball charm!
Trim it up, dry it out, and carry it as a charm for money luck, especially unexpected windfalls and gambling success.
(Comments open if you have any ideas about something a little more… palatable… to call these :)
Read more entries in the Bayou Hoodoo Herbal, my ongoing collection of herblore from the Gulf Coast of the U.S.