Big Bursage
Ambrosia ambrosioides
Despite being a ragweed, its leaves have a pleasant, spicy aroma when crushed, which is why it was named after 'ambrosia', the food of the gods.
- Scientific name
- Ambrosia ambrosioides
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Ambrosia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- desert
- Habitat
- Desert washes, canyons, and sandy slopes below 3,500 feet elevation.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic (requires sunlight, water, and soil nutrients).
- Range
- Arizona, California, Baja California, Sonora
- Size
- 1 to 2 meters in height and width.
- Lifespan
- 15-25 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat destruction due to urban sprawl and competition from invasive buffelgrass.
- Safe to approach?
- Generally harmless to touch, but a significant source of wind-borne allergenic pollen. If you suffer from hay fever, maintain distance during the spring flowering season. The hooked burs can cling tightly to clothing and animal fur; remove them by hand to prevent spreading seeds to non-native areas.
Ambrosia ambrosioides , also known as canyon ragweed or chicura is a ragweed found in the deserts of northern Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora), Arizona, and California (Ventura + San Diego Counties).
Photo: Bill Levine, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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