The seeds of giant ragweed are 47% crude protein. That is very, very high, much higher than any cultivated grain. What’s more, these seeds, which the plant produces in prodigious amounts, provide, in the words of Roger Wells, a certified wildlife biologist and national habitat coordinator for Quails Unlimited, “the highest amount of metabolizable calories, more even that corn, soybeans, wheat, or any other grain that we know.” What that means is that the seeds are very digestible. Quail or pheasants, in a good stand of giant ragweed will double and triple in population. (You can find all this and more at QuailRestoration.com on the Internet.) And what is the corn and soybean farmer’s second worse dream? Now you can actually buy giant ragweed seed by the bag if you want to plant some to increase wildlife on your farm.
I always figured that Ragweed seeds were edible. But I am surprised they have such a large protein content.