Ragweed, giant

Ragweed, giant description

Plant has short tap-root with shallow, fibrous roots. Stems are coarse, rough, and hairy and grow up to 15 ft tall in fertile, moist soil and up to 7 ft in drier, less fertile soil. Leaves are opposite, large, slightly hairy and rough. They are cleft into three to five lobes.

Propagation

Annual. Seed.

Similar species

Ragweed, common

Distribution

Throughout the U.S. with the exception of northern Maine, Florida, the Pacific Coast and areas of the Southwest.

Identifying Ragweed, giant

Seedling

Leaves are stemmed with grooves on the leaf stem. The leaves are opposite and rough on both sides. Cotyledons are 3-4 times larger than common ragweed.