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The symptoms are unmistakeable: itchy watery eyes, runny nose and itchy throat. So when the dreaded hay fever returns with the arrival of spring each year, what’s the first thing people blame? Most likely, pollen from flowering plants.
But according to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney’s director of horticulture, Jimmy Turner, most pollens, especially from flowering plants, are too heavy to flat in the air.
“This time of year, allergy sufferers walk outside, sneeze and then then look for the nearest flowering plant to blame. Just because your neighbour’s, wattle is in bloom doesn’t make it the evil culprit,” said Jimmy.
“Pollen on flowering plants usually travel no more than a few inches by wind and these plants rely on butterflies, bees and other pollinators to move their pollen from plant to plant.”
So what’s the real culprit?
“The true cause of our allergies is mostly from wind pollinated grasses and trees, and the one that may be causing your head to feel like it is going to explode, may be thousands of kilometres away from your home,” explained Jimmy.
“It’s easy to blame flowers because you’ve most likely never noticed ryegrass, couch or other grasses in bloom. The large tree culprits you need to be aware of as well include the London plane, oak, pines and she oaks.”
Studies reveal that most hay fever is caused by mould, dust and pollen from grass and trees, because these particles are light and easily blown by the wind in large quantities.
So what should you be planting if you’re prone to hay fever?
The best type of low-allergen plants to have in your garden – especially around this type of year – are plants that are pollinated by birds and bees.
Low-allergen plants for this time of the year include roses, kangaroo paws (native), begonias (native), orchids, snapdragon, native fuschia, nemesia, cut-lead daisy, fan-fower, nodding blue lily and billy buttons (all natives). Asthma Australia released a great list of low-allergen plants this week here.
Jimmy’s top tips for keeping your hay fever at bay
- Garden early in the morning as pollen levels are lower in the morning
- Mow your lawn regularly to keep grass pollen down
- Keep on top of your weeds as these are the cause of most of your pollen issues
- Choose the right plants in your own landscape ie low-allergen plants, and
- Have a good air purifier for indoors during the hay fever season!
You might also like:
The ultimate guide to Australian native flowers
5 natural ways to nip hay fever in the bud once and for all
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