The information for the following story is from the following Internet site accessed 12/13/2002: http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsaf/rir/weeds/ragweed.htm

Ragweed - Nova Scotia's Harmful Plant

When most people hear the word "ragweed," they cringe. It is not a welcomed word. What is it about this plant that makes people sneeze?

Unlike the daisy or mayflower, the ragweed plant or common ragweed, is one of Nova Scotia's "unloved" native plants. Nearly everybody has heard of this harmful weed, or has seen it growing along our country roads.

The species that most Nova Scotians are concerned about is the Ambrosia artemisiifolia. This plant loves Nova Scotia. It especially loves the province's most fertile soil and can grow up to 50 cm or taller. Even though it is not fussy about soil types, it prefers soil with a level between 6 and 7 on the PH scale.

The ragweed is an annual. This means that its life cycle lasts only one season. In other words, it grows, blooms, sets seeds, and dies all in one season. However, this vigorous weed spreads readily by producing an extremely huge amount of seeds. Luckily for the ragweed, these seeds are capable of living in the soil for 40 years of more.