Hardly any other plant is as aggressive as the Ambrosia plant. Just a few pollen can turn a he althy person into an allergy sufferer. There is only one way to protect yourself from it. The allergy monster has to go.
Ambrosia plant with flowers[/caption]The ragweed plant, also known as "ragweed", was mainly native to America until a few years ago. Due to the global movement of goods and the progressing climate change, the plant managed to spread in Europe. Hungary, France and Italy are particularly affected, but even in Germany people are no longer immune to the insidious plant. With devastating consequences.
Ambrosia pollen is now one of the most common allergy triggers in hay fever patients (source: erkaeltet.info). With hardly any other plant can the allergic reactions be as severe as with her. A single plant can emit up to a billion pollen and these are then even germinable for several decades. The pollen are so small that they penetrate so deeply into the bronchi that in the worst case even asthma can occur.
» By the way: People who have never had anything to do with allergies can have an allergic reaction to the ragweed plant. No one is immune to this and therefore there is only one possibility. Down with the weeds.
Birdseed contaminated with ragweed seeds
Climate change and the global movement of goods are not the only reasons for the growth of the horrendous plant. The seeds are also in the birdseed that we offer our native birds to feed in winter.
This is because sunflower seeds and weed pods ripen and are harvested together. In recent years, the birdseed has become "cleaner", but not one hundred percent. Even seed packets that say "ragweed seed free" aren't always guaranteed to be seed-free.
In order to protect your own garden and reduce general propagation, it is therefore advisable to use the birdseedbest to do it yourself for the winter.
Recognizing ragweed plants: 6 important characteristics
Recognizing an ambrosia plant is not exactly easy. It bears a very strong resemblance to other plants in our area. So it is particularly considered a double of the common mugwort. But the wild carrot and wormwood are also confusingly similar.
So that you can avoid confusion, I would like to mention a few special characteristics of the ragweed plant. In addition, the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture has published a table showing the most important distinguishing features between mugwort and ragweed. Of course, I don't want to withhold this from you either.
➜ Ambrosia Identification Features
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- Stem: The hairy stalk is green at first and then turns reddish to violet over time. It is very robust and has strong branches.
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- Leaves: The leaves of the Ambrosia plant are green on both sides.
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- Blossoms: The blossoms are in different places. The female flowers are located directly in the leaf axils, while the males rise in racemes and shed their yellow pollen during the July flowering season.
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- Location: The ambrisoa plant can be found not only in gardens, but also on roadsides, along train tracks and in green areas. Vacant properties are also very popular.
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- Growth: If the location is very dry, the mugwort-like plant only grows to a height of about 10 to 15 cm. However, if the soil is nutrient-rich, the plant can even reach a considerable size of 2 meters in heavy rain.
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- Growth / Flowering: In contrast to mugwort, the ragweed plant grows rather slowly in the first few months, only between the middle and the end of June does the plant start to grow quickly, around the end of July or the beginning of August to form the first flowers.
Comparison of ragweed / mugwort
| Feature | Mugwort | Ambrosia |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Underside lighter, silvery-white colored | Green on both sides |
| Stem | Hairless | Hairy, green, turning red in autumn |
| Development | Faster (late Mayapprox. 25 - 50 cm) | Slowly (end of May approx. 10 - 20 cm) |
| Start of flowering | From the end of June | From mid / end of July |
| Inflorescence | Pyramidal Inflorescence | Elongated male flowers in racemes at the end of the shoots, yellowish when pollen forms |
(Source: lfl.bayern.de)
Fighting ragweed plants - 4 tips
Tear out the plants including the roots and then dispose of them in the household waste. Do not throw the plant in the organic waste or on the compost, as the plant can continue to spread here unhindered. If the plant has already formed flowers, you should first cut off the flower stalk and then pull out the plant with the roots, otherwise the plant would regenerate fairly quickly. For safety, wear a dust mask to protect yourself from the pollen. Since the seeds are capable of germinating for many decades, as mentioned above, you should check the affected areas annually for new sprouting. Also check your bird feeders for ragweed plants. It is always best if the plant does not flower in the first place. This reduces the risk of the pollen flying through the air and the plant finding a new place to spread.Report ragweed plant
At watson.jki.bund.de you will find a central reporting office for ragweed plants. The website is maintained by the Julius Kühn Institute and records all find data on a map.