Ambrosia trifida
Encyclopedia
Common names: Buffalo Weed, Great Ragweed, Giant Ragweed, Bitterweed, Bloodweed, Horse Cane, Tall Ambrosia
Ambrosia trifida is an annual plant
in the aster family, native throughout much of North America. Its flowers are green and are pollinated by wind rather than by insects, and the pollen is one of the main causes of late summer hay fever
. Flowers are borne from midsummer through early fall.
The plant is erect, growing to over 6 meters, though 2– 3 meters is more typical.
. At average distributions it can reduce corn
crop yields by 55% and soybean
yields by 52%. It is very difficult to control Giant Ragweed through mechanical means or herbicides, but it does not tolerate mowing, so planting small grains in succession is an effective way to suppress infestations.
Ambrosia trifida is an annual plant
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
in the aster family, native throughout much of North America. Its flowers are green and are pollinated by wind rather than by insects, and the pollen is one of the main causes of late summer hay fever
Hay Fever
Hay Fever is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. Laura Hope Crews played the role in New York...
. Flowers are borne from midsummer through early fall.
The plant is erect, growing to over 6 meters, though 2– 3 meters is more typical.
As a weed
Giant Ragweed is one of the most competitive weeds found in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. At average distributions it can reduce corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
crop yields by 55% and soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
yields by 52%. It is very difficult to control Giant Ragweed through mechanical means or herbicides, but it does not tolerate mowing, so planting small grains in succession is an effective way to suppress infestations.