This is the ninth in a series of blogs, shared with permission, about weeds in the garden. Each blog will discuss a common and specific weed found in Maine, its history, uses, what story it tells about the soil it grows in, and how to get rid of it. The original blogs, along with other gardening related blogs, can be found here.

This ugly little plant is what is actually responsible for your allergies – not that beautiful yellow flowered goldenrod you often attribute it to. Other names for ragweed include ambrosia, horseweed, asthma plant, bursages and burrobrushes, American wormwood, bitterweed, blackweed, carrot weed, hay fever weed, Roman wormwood, short ragweed, stammerwort, stickweed, tassel weed.

Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is an annual that can produce 60,000 seeds a plant, and ragweed pollen is responsible for about half of all pollen related allergies in the US. It is also the first plant in my list that is actually native to North America! Common ragweed is considered an invasive, and in Queensland it is prohibited to be given away, sold or released without permission.

Although most of us want nothing to do with the plant, ragweed may have its uses. In the past it has been used to relieve nausea, fever, as a laxative, to soothe skin rashes and even as an antiseptic. There is a whole body of homeopathic research on the “like treats like” principle – where ragweed pollen is used to reduce allergy symptoms. The seeds, which are edible, pack an impressive amount of crude protein and fat, and each plant produces as much oil as a soybean plant. It is also a bioaccumulator for lead, which makes it useful in soil remediation.

What does it mean?

In general, ragweed prefers full sun, with disturbed and poorly aerated soil, with few competitors, is tolerant of dry soil and likes places where there is not much available potassium for existing plants. Pfeiffer supposes that a lack of copper in the soil might be part of why it creates such an allergy problem with its pollen.

One effective method of control is to slash or mow the plants, or to pull them, before they set seed but when they are fully mature. A variety of herbicides have been effective in killing ragweed, however in the United States, ragweed is becoming glyphosate resistant. Another method of control is the use of insects, two of which: stem-galling moth and the ragweed leaf beetle might help reduce the prevalence the weed. Finally, overcrowding is considered very effective as a method of eliminating ragweed in a couple of growing seasons.

Want to learn more?

If you would like to learn more about weeds, why they grow, and what that means about your garden, consider the following texts:

Weeds and Why they Grow, by Jay L. McCaman

Weeds and What They Tell Us, by Ehrenfried E. Pfeiffer

This is the eighth in a series of blogs, shared with permission, about weeds in the garden. Each blog will discuss a common and specific weed found in Maine, its history, uses, what story it tells about the soil it grows in, and how to get rid of it. The original blogs, along with other gardening related blogs, can be found here.

Plantain is a wonderful weed. Heaven knows why you would want to be rid of it. The most commonly found plantain near me is the Broadleaf Plantain, and so this is the one I am discussing today. Plantain is useful as a remedy for minor itches and insect bites – take the leaves, chew them and place them on the affected area for relief. It is considered throughout history as a cure-all; Pliny thought it would knit the flesh of dead things together, and it is found in Lacnunga as a sacred herb. Indeed – everyone from Chaucer to Shakespeare seemed fond of this little, now-hated plant.

Plantain thrives where the soil is best, and they prefer places where the soil is hard and moisture is nearby. Cattle eat it, and in England, says Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, it is grown hand in hand with clover. It is well suited to use in walkways as it survives regular tramping. Furthermore, because it, like many of our garden annuals, likes healthy soil, it is quite nutritious. The leaves have iron as well as vitamins A, C and K.

What does it mean?

According to Jay L. McCaman , this means that the soil is likely high in the following minerals: calcium, phosphate, potash, manganese, iron, zinc and selenium. The soil is also likely high in boron and chlorine.  In sum, your soil is in nearly fantastic shape.

The best way to deal with an excess of plantain is to loosen up the soil, both through tilling the area and also through the addition of turned in mulch and extra earthworms. However, always remember to consider all of the weeds in an area before deciding how to deal with it.

Want to learn more?

If you would like to learn more about weeds, why they grow, and what that means about your garden, consider the following texts:

Weeds and Why they Grow, by Jay L. McCaman

Weeds and What They Tell Us, by Ehrenfried E. Pfeiffer

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