It is coarse, hairy, has a slightly noxious odor and no pretty flowers. You usually see this plant in the background of TV commercials for antihistamines. Ragweed grows where soil has been disturbed, such as along roads that are being built and at construction sites. Ragweed plants can grow up to 12 feet tall. Stressful growing conditions cause the plant to put its energy into the bloom.
Few plants are as efficient at disbursing pollen.
A single plant can produce 1 billion pollen grains. There are thousands of ragweed plants in the Big Bend. Just imagine the amount of pollen in the air on a dry, windy day. There are literally tons of pollens in the air, and that means big trouble for allergy sufferers. So, you've used up all the tissues in the house.