As I am patiently waiting for summer’s grand finale of asters, goldenrods and tickseed-sunflowers, I can’t help but notice the large patches of ragweed growing alongside them. Yes, ragweed season is almost here.
Have you ever looked at ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)? Many people think the showy yellow flowers filling the roadsides in the late summer are ragweed. Those flowers are goldenrod (Solidago), and they do not make you sneeze and itch!
Ragweed blooms at the same time as goldenrod, but its spikes of green flowers are much less noticeable. The male flowers produce the pollen that is carried by the wind and causes allergies. The female flowers produce the seeds that birds love to eat.
I have seen a lot of ragweed growing along the Shiloh Greenway this year (more than last year). I didn’t pay attention to the amount of ragweed on the other trails in previous years, so I can’t say if there is just more of it out there this year, or if the increase is only in a small area. In any case, if you suffer from allergies in the fall, be prepared now, because ragweed season is here!