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giant ragweed
ExplorePlants
giant ragweed
Ambrosia trifida
Giant ragweed is a tall plant that can grow very high, sometimes over 10 feet! It has big, green leaves and produces lots of tiny flowers that turn into seeds.
Habitat: Grasslands
Appearance
The giant ragweed is a towering plant, often reaching impressive heights, with thick, rough, reddish-green stems. Its large, deeply lobed leaves resemble a bird's foot. The inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers grow in tall spikes, giving the plant a rather plain but imposing appearance.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderAsteralesFamilyAsteraceaeGenusAmbrosia
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
2/5 · Low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Ancient people once harvested its nutritious seeds for food and oil.
Giant ragweed can help clean polluted soil by soaking up heavy metals.
Its super-fine pollen can travel hundreds of miles, causing allergies far away!
One giant ragweed plant can produce over a billion pollen grains in a single season!
Special abilities
Ability
Pollen Powerhouse
Giant ragweed can produce billions of lightweight pollen grains that travel vast distances, helping it spread far and wide.
Ability
Rapid Growth Spurt
Giant ragweed has an incredibly fast growth rate, allowing it to quickly outcompete other plants for vital sunlight and resources.
Ability
Super Seed Survival
Giant ragweed seeds can remain viable, or alive, in the soil for decades, giving it a powerful advantage for future growth.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 100-400 cm
- Spread
- 50-150 cm
- Flower Size
- 0.2-0.5 cm
- Bloom Season
- Late_summer_fall
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- None
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Pollination Method
- Wind
Ecological connections
eats
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Eats its oil-rich seeds, especially in winter.
eats
American Goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
Feeds on the numerous seeds, a vital food source.
parasitizes
Ragweed Rust
Puccinia xanthii
This fungus specifically infects and weakens giant ragweed plants.
eats
Squash Lady Beetle
Epilachna borealis
Larvae and adults sometimes feed on ragweed leaves.
Traits
Deciduous
Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
Flowering
Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
Edible
Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
Grassland
Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
Pollinator Magnet
Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
Rapid Growing
Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.
Keystone Species
Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.
Giant
Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
Safety
Danger
2/5 · Low
Be careful not to touch the plant if you have allergies, as it can cause sneezing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is giant ragweed?
100-400 cm
How wide does giant ragweed spread?
50-150 cm
How big are the flowers on giant ragweed?
0.2-0.5 cm
When does giant ragweed bloom?
Late_summer_fall
Is giant ragweed edible?
No
Is giant ragweed toxic?
None
What is giant ragweed's lifecycle?
Annual
How is giant ragweed pollinated?
Wind
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