Beifußblättrige Ambrosie: Erkennen, Melden, Bekämpfen

Ragweed can cause severe hay fever. It should therefore be removed as soon as it is discovered.

Ragweed (ragweed, ragweed, wild hemp, ragweed) originates from the north-eastern United States and is increasingly spreading in Europe.

The plant has now also been discovered in some areas of Germany. The inconspicuous plant can trigger severe hay fever and in some cases asthma through inhalation of the pollen or skin contact.

The annual plant is a late bloomer and can flower from July to October. It develops mainly in open areas in fields, on roadsides and in gardens (especially at bird feeders).

Remove the plant and its roots immediately. Wear gloves for this. The use of a dust mask is recommended for flowering plants. Dispose of the plants in a plastic bag in the household waste. Allergy sufferers should not carry out this work!

The mugwort has a growth height of 30 - 150 cm, has a taproot and green, strongly incised leaves on both sides. The triangular to oval leaves are hairy with whitish veins. There is no odor when the leaves are rubbed. The stem is white - reddish, hairy and very strongly branched. The plant bears both male and female flowers; the male flowers form a spike-like raceme at the end of the branches, each with 5 - 20 tubular yellow-green flowers in a hemispherical sheath. The female flowers are greenish and sit below the male flowers, with an inverted conical involucre.
It is often confused with common mugwort, Verlot's mugwort, wormwood, amaranth, goosefoot or dog's foot chamomile.

Further information on common ragweed can be found on the website of the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI).

To the State Office for the Environment of Schleswig-Holstein (LfU).