Fall is right around the corner, and it’s one of the peak times that allergy-inducing pollen is carried by the winds. Pollen is the cause behind most seasonal allergies, as the soft powder is released by a variety of plants and vegetation, causing many people to suffer from symptoms such as red, itchy eyes, and frequent sneezing.
Because pollen proteins are an allergen for so many people, pollen counts have become a frequent part of weather reporting.
The St. Louis area is full of great resources for those with pollen allergies. All that matters is that you know where to look and what to look for. For example, the St. Louis County website offers a page dedicated to the Pollen and Mold Center. Here, you can find a breakdown of common local trees and their respective pollen levels for various seasons.
For example, this site shows that for trees from the Linden family, such as linden, basswood, and white basswood, pollen levels are highest in the spring and that the Linden pollen season extends from May to July. This means that Linden trees should be relatively safe for those with allergies doing yard work in August or September.
Other resources include the local online weather forecast over at Accuweather. Here, you can view charts that display pollen levels from low to extreme on any given day, broken down into four categories: tree pollen, ragweed pollen, mold and grass pollen.
If you’re planting new trees, pruning and trimming, or doing general yard cleaning, you’ll want to be aware of the current pollen count. If you haven’t done your research yet, here are a few trees with low pollen counts in the fall months.
1. Ash, Lilac, and Privet
Trees such as white ash, green and red ashes, ornamental lilac, and common privet are abundant in Missouri. The ash, lilac, and privet trees have pollen seasons that run from January through May. In addition, Privet trees are insect-pollinated and are not known to be allergenic, so these should keep you sneeze-free year-round.
2. Poplar
For Poplars in Missouri, tree pollen is most dominant during the spring months. The overall pollen season for these trees generally runs from February to June, but a lot of ornamental poplars are considered to be “sterile hybrids” and actually don’t produce any traces of pollen at all. Still, those that do produce pollen are wind-pollinated (rather than insect-pollinated), so they are known to be allergenic during their pollination season.
3. Willows
Willows, such as the white willow or weeping willow are great choices, due to being insect-pollinated. Their pollination season runs from March to June, but they’re not known to be strongly allergenic at any time of the year.
4. Maple
Maple pollen is known to be very highly allergenic, so those with hay fever may do well to stay away at peak times. However, this exclusively wind-pollinated tree has a pollen season that typically runs from February to May. So, if you’re prone to allergies, fall should be a better time than usual to work with or near Maples.
5. Sycamore
Sycamores are gorgeous, unique, and wonderfully pleasant shade-giving trees. While its pollen is known to be moderately allergenic according to the Pollen and Mold Center, its pollen season is usually contained between March and June, making it an issue for allergy sufferers only in the springtime.
6. Mulberry
The small but lovely Mulberry sheds significant volumes of pollen and is considered a major allergenic culprit. But there’s no need to shy away from these fantastic plants once fall rolls around since their pollen season ends in May.
Looking for more advice on landscaping, trees, and general residential or commercial yard work in St. Louis? Need to hire a professional today? Connect with your local experts at Jackson Tree Service, LLC today. You can reach us at 314-626-8338.