Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Wildflowers of Ainsworth: Ragweed

Great Ragweed:

GreatRagweedsayswho
(Click on image to enlarge)

What's so great about it? … Oh, the size. This one was about eight feet tall. Was, I say, because after I took this picture I cut it down. Now it's eight feet horizontally. Yes, I went on a ragweed-slaughtering rampage that day.

Per Jack Sanders:
Ragweed pollen itself is no worse than the airborne pollen of some other weeds, but ragweeds are the most common and prolific producers in many areas from August through September. Nationwide, ragweeds spew a quarter of a billion tons of pollen into the air each season.
Because it is self-pollinating, ragweed does not need to entice bees and other insects, so it never bothered to develop attractive blossoms. Its flowers are tiny and dull yellow.

GreatRagweedblossoms

The blossoms of the Common Ragweed are not quite so showy! The common ragweed is shorter than the great. This specimen was about five feet tall:

CommonRagweed

The common ragweed leaves are lacy — rather pretty, I must admit.

CommonRagweedleaves

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