Ragweed
Summer annual, 0.2-2.5 m tall, found throughout the United States,
producing abundant pollen that is a primary cause of hay fever.
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There are 17 species of ragweed in North America.
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Ambrosia is the
generic name of ragweed and in the Latin means "food
of the gods."
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Ragweed grows the best in sunny, newly-disturbed
soils, free from competition with other weeds and grasses. It is
often found along
roadsides, vacant lots,
river banks, and abandoned fields.
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Ragweed starts blooming in the north about
mid-August as the days become shorter and the nights longer. Pollen
production ends mid-September as temperatures
start
dropping below 60 °F.
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It is estimated that one ragweed plant can produce
up to 1 billion pollen grains.
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