Ragweed sightings spike as allergy season peaks outdoors
iNaturalist Community
Phenology
That patch of scraggly green weed along the sidewalk or in your neglected garden bed is likely common ragweed, and spotting it now tells you exactly why your eyes have been itchy this week.
A weedy plant called common ragweed is showing up everywhere right now, with 219 people confirming sightings on a nature-tracking app in just one week. It's not flashy, but it's one of the biggest causes of late-summer allergies, so seeing it pop up in your neighborhood is basically a heads-up that pollen season is in full swing.
Key Findings
219 research-grade observations of common ragweed were logged in a single week
Ambrosia artemisiifolia ranked among the most-observed plant species on the platform this week
High observation volume coincides with peak ragweed pollen season in many regions
chevron_right Technical Summary
Common ragweed is having a big week on iNaturalist, with 219 verified sightings logged by observers, a signal that this notorious allergy-triggering plant is actively flowering and spreading right now.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) — 219 observations this week
common ragweed is among the most observed plant species this week with 219 research-grade observations.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Street trees cut heat deaths by 39 percent in European cities
Trees in your local park or street aren't just pretty — they are literally keeping people alive during heatwaves, and planting even a modest number of the ri...
Ambrosia artemisiifolia, with the common names common ragweed, annual ragweed, and low ragweed, is a species of the genus Ambrosia native to regions of the Americas.