Ambrosia artemisiifolia: delcious-sounding name for a very annoying plant

Warning: this plant is considered a noxious weed under the Ontario Weed Control Act.

Such a lovely-sounding name for this plant with such pretty, fern-like leaves! (click the photo to get a better look) If only it weren't for the flowers...

In case you haven't recognized this common but easily overlooked plant yet, it's better known as common ragweed (petite herbe à poux). Those boring little green flowers have no interest for animal pollinators, so ragweed instead releases massive amounts of lightweight pollen into the wind, relying on the sheer quanitity of pollen to ensure that some of it will reach a female flower and fertilize it. (Separate male and female flowers are produced on each plant.)

Ragweed grows in the same habitats and blooms around the same time as its showier cousins, the goldenrods (verge d'or, Solidago spp.). Because ragweed is so inconspicuous, goldenrod is often unfairly blamed for ragweed pollen allergies. In fact goldenrod pollen is too heavy to be wind-borned; that's why it has those gorgeous flowers, to attract the insects needed for pollination.

According to Wikipedia, the genus name Ambrosia comes from the same root, άμβροτος, as the ambrosia which is the food of the gods, but this root word actually means "immortal", referring to the difficulty of eradicating this plant. (This species is actually an annual, so not immortal by any means.)

Ragweed is one of the top 10 herbacious plants to feed wild birds, because it produces numerous, oil-rich seeds. However, given how many people are allergic to it, I think it should be kept to wilderness areas far from humanity, certainly not in Toronto gardens.

Ambrosia artemisiifolia: foliage

Note: this plant is considered a noxious weed under the Ontario Weed Control Act Ambrosia artemisiifolia, known in English as "common ragweed" or "short ragweed" and in French as petite herbe à poux or ambrosie à feuilles d'armoise is an annual native to North America, infamous for its highly allergenic pollen.

Last year when these pretty leaves started emerging in the spring, I was sure they were something "good". Imagine my disappointment when I realised they were in fact ragweed. Ragweed's flowers are tiny and green; they don't need to be showy to attract insects because they are wind-pollinated. I don't know if I'm allergic to ragweed myself (I'm stuffed up all year round due to my fibromyalgia), but a friend down the street suffered from ragweed allergies, and ragweed pollen can travel hundreds of miles on the wind.

Even though ragweed is a native plant, I think those of us in populated areas should pull it out of consideration for all the people sickened by ragweed pollen. The Ontario government has designated ragweed as a noxious weed.