Coastal ragweed
Ambrosia hispida
Last reviewed: August 2026
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
4"–12" H × 24"–60" W
Bloom
May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Native to
FL
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 431 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaA low, mat-forming subshrub with finely divided, silvery-green leaves that spreads by runners across sandy dunes. Flowers are small, greenish, and wind-pollinated rather than showy, so it reads as a groundcover rather than a bloom feature.
Wildlife value
Its dense, sprawling mat stabilizes loose sand and provides ground cover for small dune wildlife; the pollen is wind-dispersed rather than insect-collected.
Common questions
- How much sun does Coastal ragweed need?
- Coastal ragweed grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Coastal ragweed bloom?
- Coastal ragweed blooms in May, June, July, August, September, and October.
- Where is Coastal ragweed native?
- Coastal ragweed (Ambrosia hispida) is native to FL, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
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