One single large ragweed plant can produce as many as 62,000 seeds per year and even a small plant can produce 3,000 seeds. That's a lot of seeds to spread around the province. They spread with the help of birds, water, and even humans.

The green leaves and stems of the ragweed are covered with fine hairs, but the plants vary in size and shape. The spiky flowers are tiny and rather inconspicuous and are light green in color.

Nova Scotia also has another species of ragweed called Ambrosia trifida, better known as the giant ragweed. It may grow 2 meters or more in height, but it does not spread as fast as the common ragweed.

The ragweed adapts itself to different soil types but grows best in rich loam. It has no trouble growing in soil that contains a large amount of zinc which would poison most other plants. As well, large amounts of salt in the soil don't seem to bother this weed.

The ragweed grows easily all over the province – along roadsides, in open fields, and in croplands.