Common Ragweed, American Wormwood, Annual Ragweed, Common Ragweed, Low Ragweed

Contrary to its name Ambrosia, there is nothing heavenly about this plant. Grows wildly along fence lines and areas that aren't mowed. It...Read More's inconspicuous green flower heads allow ragweed to flourish unnoticed. Poor old goldenrod usually gets the blame for hayfever when it's the ragweed that's growing right next door.

Things start slow. Then by July or August, the plants shoot up and unleash their pollen-ridden flowers. After a rain, the plants can be pulled out. That's my preferred method of disposal. Stems on the largest plants are thick and woody, and some need to be cut at the base instead of pulled out if you wish to remove them. The only good news is that it tends to grow so closely together that the plants stunt themselves and don't reach their full massive size.

Although I an not allergic to to the pollen, pulling the plants or touching them creates a rash of red bumps/specks on the inside of my arms. Not particularly itchy but unpleasant nonetheless. This one can irritate your skin, your eyes and your psyche!

Approximately one person in ten is allergic to the pollen of this plant. If that is simply inhaled, then, unless you have severe asthma, ...Read Morethe result is merely unpleasant. But if you get a whack of pollen in the eyes it is catastrophic - swollen eyelids, eyes continually watering for hours and the sensation of having a dozen needles in the eye, when you blink.
I suffered for six hours the other evening and I NEVER want to do that ever again!

Contrary to melody, about any native plant can beat out ragweed, just need the soil to be undisturbed.

When people often think of ragweeds they think it is the Giant Ragweed but actually it is not that common - may persists in certain locat...Read Moreions but are very common only when widespread distrubation of land occurs and then only last a few years until grasses choke it out. Common Ragweed is often just under our noses without us noticing it - it is very common - when you drive on freeways, etc - you will notice a zone- when the grass end, there are lighter green very small plants growing in gravels and exposed soils - those are common ragweed - and they exist in such vast numbers it is hard to believe but they are also resistant to salts and higher level of pollution from car exhausts. May exist in low levels in gardens - in exposured soils or thin vegetation. Also found in weedy grass areas like old industrial and commerical locations - one of the first plant to get established in what little soil accumulate in the cracks of asphalts and concrete. I have seen it in downtown cities, popping out of cracks. In certain locations it is also very common in the first few inches of the lawn that edge the sidewalk or the street - only grow a few inches tall while in garden form it grows bigger to about roughly 1 foot.