Common Ragweed Plants, Philadelphia

In Albums: Philadelphia plants

Jun 16th, 2011, by Alex Zorach

This common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, was growing in a vacant lot at the northeast corner of Fairmount Avenue and American Avenue, in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA.

Ragweed is often considered a weed or pest, but here in North America, it is a native plant, and a natural part of the healthy local ecology. When it blooms in the fall, it is a major allergen and source of fall allergies. It is in the composite (daisy/aster) family. It is an annual, and is one of the first plants to colonize disturbed ground with poor soil, such as vacant lots and roadsides.

I also took a broader photo of the whole vacant lot.