CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tis' the season for those allergies to flare up. As many of us are fighting seasonal allergies, we're looking for any relief we can get. So are there certain plants that may be better for allergies?
THE QUESTION:
Are there some trees that are more allergy-friendly than others?
OUR SOURCES:
THE ANSWER:
Yes, there are some trees that are more allergy-friendly than others.
WHAT WE FOUND:
Betz tells us there are different tree species that create less pollen. However, when it comes down to which trees produce more, it really depends on the gender of the tree.
"It's the male trees are the ones that primarily produce the majority of the pollen, it's all for reproduction that's what spreads to the female trees and that's where you get your flowers and fruit," Betz said.
Betz said female trees act as a filtration system.
"If you essentially plant more female trees that are going to absorb some of that pollen, then you should have less in the air," Betz said.
The bad news is he tells us it's hard to tell the difference between male and female trees, so getting female trees for your yard probably isn't doable.
"It's hard to go to a nursery and say I want the female version of this tree. They likely won't be able to pinpoint that," Betz said.
Taking a look at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's list of allergy-friendly trees, you can see female trees are listed among other trees:
- Apple and crab apple
- Pie cherry
- Chinese fan palm
- Female fern pine
- Dogwood
- Female English holly
- Hardy rubber tree
- Magnolia
- Pear
- Plum
- Female red maple
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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