| Planting an "Allergy Free" Garden:
Gardening tips for the allergy-prone to ensure that your eyes and nose are happy.
Dirt on Gardening host Kristine Hanson talks with Pam Geisel, environmental horticulture advisor with the University of California's cooperative extension, about plant allergies and about how select and plant in such a way as to minimize allergy problems in your yard and garden.
An allergy is a physical response to an irritant in the environment that may cause the body to react in a variety of ways. Allergic reactions can occur year-round, including in winter. Types of reaction may include running or itchy eyes and nose, skin flare-up, breathing problems and headaches.
Allergy Facts
Most respiratory-related allergies are caused by pollen. Not all pollens are the same however. Some pollen spores, if viewed under a microscope, are basically smooth. Pine pollen, for example, has a more-or-less smooth outer surface. Others, like sycamore, have barbed surfaces. The latter type are the ones that tend to cause the greatest irritation in eyes, sinuses, lungs, etc.
Male plants are the most problematic since they are the pollen producers. Female plants, on the other hand, produce seeds rather than pollen. It's the flowering process--including the release of pollen--that leads to the misery of allergies.
It's important to note that some plant species have both male and female elements within a single plant, while others are "only male" or "only female." Ginkgo trees, for example, are either male or female, and it's only the male plant that produces the pollen that can cause allergies. Of course, there can be tradeoffs. Female plants may produce large amounts of seed pods, berries or fruit that may be messy in the garden or landscape setting. The female Ginkgo, for example, produces seeds in a fruit that many people find to have an unpleasant odor. Check horticultural guidebooks or check with your nurseryman for assistance in identifying the sex of plants.
Proximity to allergen-producing plants is another key factor. It's not simply that "allergens are in the air"; it's where you are and what is planted in the area. Proximity will have an impact on the intensity of the allergic response. Most pollen lands close to the source plant, so a heavily pollen-producing tree in your own yard, for example, will have a much greater impact than a similar tree planted down the block.
The key to an allergy-free garden is patience. A hard or garden relatively free of allergens doesn't happen overnight. Plant selection is key. Learn what species and varieties are safe to plant and which to avoid.
Rogues Gallery of Allergy-Causing Plants
Some of the "top offenders" in terms of causing or aggravating allergic response include:
- pecan
- live oak (Quercus sp.)
- coyote brush (Baccharis)
- fountain grass (Pennesetum setaceum)
- Chinese elms (Ulmus parvifolia)
- sycamore (Platanus sp.)
- black acacia (Acacia melanoxylon).
"Nose-Friendly" Plants
Morning glories are a good choice for the allergy prone. Their pollen is not allergenic. Most flowering plants with trumpet- or tube-shaped blooms tend not to be as problematic.
If you suffer with allergies, here are some other plant selections you may want to consider:
- female trees of any type, including red maple, mulberry and Chinese pistach
- Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica)
- deodar cedar (Cedrus deodora)
- Podocarpus gracilior
- low fragrance roses such as shrub or floribunda roses
More Tips for Creating an Allergy-Free Garden
- Identify the culprits and take action. If it's feasible, remove the problem plant or tree entirely and replace it with allergy friendly plant.
- If you can't remove the problem plant, keep it pruned back regularly.
- With allergies, avoidance is key. When the pollen producers are flowering, try to physically avoid them. For example, if you have a problem plant at your back door, get in the habit of using the front door until the plant's flowering phase is complete. Avoid planting pollen producers near windows that you're likely to open on nice days.
- Each year get rid of some of the worst offenders and replace them with some "nose-friendly" plants. And if you're just starting to landscape, consider the nonallergenic types.
- Avoid planting male (pollen-producing) specimens. Ask your nurseryman to help you select female plants. They're pollen-free and actually trap and remove airborne pollen.
- If you're involved in a neighborhood or community organization, suggest that the community avoid plantings of male-only trees in publicly landscaped areas. Large numbers of male trees raise the pollen count substantially.
- Request nursery salespeople to sell more pollen-free plants.
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Kristine Hanson talks with Pam Geisel about "good" and "bad" plants when it comes to allergies and allergens.
Pam Geisel uses these balls to illustrate the difference between more problematic pollens like sycamore, and less irritating ones like pine.
Ginkgo trees are either male or female. It's the male plant that produces allergy-causing pollen.
Chinese elm is especially problematic because it produces a lot of "bad" pollen.
Ornamental grasses like fountain grass and coyote brush are top "allergy offenders."
Morning glories are "nose friendly" flowers.
Choosing low fragrance flowers will help allergies from getting stirred up.
Camellia japonica
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