Before discussing the differences between mugwort and ragweed plants, we should clarify what species these common names refer to. Mugwort and ragweed do not indicate two species of plants. They are, in fact, common names for two genera. Mugwort stands for the Artemisia genus, alongside other types of plants, such as wormwood and sagebrush. This genus consists of 13 mugwort species, which include Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia douglasiana, Artemisia glacialis, Artemisia lactiflora, and Artemisia vulgaris. Since Artemisia vulgaris is called common mugwort, this article will focus on its characteristics only. The term ragweed is used with regard to the flowering plants of the Ambrosia genus, which comprises about 50 ragweed species, such as Ambrosia acanthicarpa, Ambrosia ambrosioides, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Ambrosia bidentata, and Ambrosia deltoidea. You’ve probably heard about this plant being a serious allergen, especially in North America, where it’s most abundant. In this article, we’ll only discuss Ambrosia artemisiifolia, also called common ragweed.
Comparing Common Mugwort vs. Common Ragweed
The Key Differences Between Common Mugwort vs. Common Ragweed
Common mugworts are often mistaken for common ragweed or the other way around. This is because they have similar appearances and are both strong allergenic plants. Check out the following key differences that will help you distinguish between the two!
Common Mugwort vs. Common Ragweed: Plant Type
Common mugwort and common ragweed are both herbaceous plants. Common mugwort is a perennial species, which means it lives more than two years. These plants grow and bloom over the spring and summer and die in the autumn and winter. Once spring is back, they return to life from their rootstock. Common mugwort is deciduous, meaning it has separate male and female plants. Common ragweed is an annual plant. This means that the plant’s life cycle starts with germination and ends with seed production. This happens within one growing season. The plant dies after this process. Compared to common mugwort, common ragweed is a monoecious plant, meaning it has separate male and female flowers on the same plant.
Common Mugwort vs. Common Ragweed: Height
Common mugwort plants have an average height of 3.3 – 6.6 feet, although some plants grow as tall as 8.2 feet. The maximum and the average height of common ragweed plants are debatable. Some sources say they do not grow taller than 2.3 feet. Others mention that their average height is 6.5 feet tall. We can assume these two species have approximately the same height.
Common Mugwort vs. Common Ragweed: Spreading System
Unlike other plants that spread through seed dispersal, common mugwort relies on an extensive rhizome system. This species spreads through the anthropogenic root rhizome fragment dispersal. Although common ragweed primarily relies on rhizomes to propagate, it also spreads by seed.
Common Mugwort vs. Common Ragweed: Leaves and Flowers
Common mugwort has dark green leaves measuring 2 to 7.9 inches long. They are called pinnate leaves because they feature a feather-like arrangement. In other words, they have paired leaflets on both sides of the central axis. Common mugwort leaves are also called sessile leaves because they lack leaf stalks. The underside of the leaves is covered in dense, white, and tomentose hairs. Common mugwort produces flowers from midsummer to early autumn. The flowers are small with oval heads, radially symmetrical, and have yellow or dark red petals. Common ragweed leaves grow 1.2 – 4.7 inches long. The lower leaves have an opposite arrangement, while the upper ones have an alternate arrangement. The plant’s stem is hairy and reddish. Like common mugwort leaves, they are sessile, pinnately divided, hairy, and soft. This plant blooms from mid-August to November. Male flowers are green and small. They grow at the end of the upper branches. Female flowers bloom in small groups or solitary at the base of the upper leaves. The plant’s fruit is reddish-brown.
Common Mugwort vs. Common Ragweed: Uses
The Artemisia vulgaris species has an important historical significance in medicine. A study shows that, in the Middle Ages, this plant was called the “mother of herbs.” It has been used to regulate the gastrointestinal system and treat gynecological ailments. Nowadays, the benefits of this plant’s herb extracts include antioxidant, antispasmolytic, estrogenic, cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal, and hepatoprotective properties. In some parts of the world, this plant serves as an aromatic herb, a seasonal vegetable used in stir-fries, and a medicinal plant. It appears even as tea that supposedly induces lucid dreaming. In Nepal, common mugwort is used as an offering to the gods. In the past, Native American tribes widely used Ambrosia artemisiifolia as a traditional medicinal plant. Nowadays, common ragweed, along with other ragweed species, is infamous because it causes severe allergic reactions, especially in North America, where it’s considered invasive. Significant efforts go into controlling its spread. On the other hand, the plant is used in projects concerned with remediating soil pollution due to its properties of removing heavy metals from soil.
Up Next:
Mugwort vs. Wormwood: Is There a Difference?Goldenrod vs. Ragweed: 5 Key DifferencesDiscover 8 Plants Invading the United States
