12 Flowers Allergy Sufferers Should Avoid (2024)

Gardening

Flowers

Avoid Wind-Pollinated Flowers if You Have Hay Fever

• 01 of 12

  Aster (Aster spp. and Hybrids)

  

  At the top of the list of allergen-heavy plants would be most of the plants in the aster or daisy family, including many species from the Aster genus. Asters can be everywhere during the warmer months and can even find their way into homes as container plants. Even though most asters are not wind-pollinated, many people with allergies are sensitive to pollen.

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–10; depends on species
  • Color Varieties: Nearly any color
  • Sun Exposure: Wide range
  • Soil Needs: Wide range

• 02 of 12

  Baby's Breath(Gypsophila spp.)

  

  Baby's breath is popular in cottage gardens and shows up in many florist bouquets. Although the flowers are small, they can pack a big punch of pollen. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the double-flowered baby's breath is a better choice than the single-flowered types. The double flowers are hybrids that have a low level of pollen. It alsohelps that all those petals prevent the pollen from flying off.

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9
  • Color Varieties: White, pink
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Needs; Any well-drained soil

• 03 of 12

  Dahlia (Dahlia spp.)

  

  Dahlia flowers are showy enough to attract many insect pollinators, but as members of the aster family, dahlias pack a lot of pollen. However, some dahlia hybrids classified as "formal doubles" have virtually no pollen. These are the fluffy flowers with lots of petals and stamens that have evolved into pollen-less staminodes.

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 7–11; often grown as an annual
  • Color Varieties: Red, pink, orange, yellow, white, purple
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Needs: Moist but well-drained

• 04 of 12

  Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum)

  

  See Also

  Best & Worst Flowers for Allergy Sufferers

  Also in the aster family, daisies may look pristine and tame, but this plant is a high pollen producer. The pollen is mostly transferred by bees, not wind.

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9
  • Color Varieties: White
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained

  Continue to 5 of 12 below.

• 05 of 12

  Gerber Daisies (Gerbera jamesonii)

  

  One of the flashiest members of the Aster family is the Gerber daisy. For all its bling and beauty, it also contains high levels of pollen.

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 8–11; usually grown as annuals
  • Color Varieties: Yellow, pink, orange, red
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
  • Soil Needs: Rich, moist soil

• 06 of 12

  Chamomile (Matricaria recutita, Chamaemelum nobile)

  

  Another aster family member, chamomile can cause double trouble. The plants are producers of pollen, and the flowers are used to make tea, which can still harbor some irritants even after brewing.

  Chamaemelum nobile is known as chamomile; Matricaria recutita is known as German chamomile; both are problems for allergy-sufferers.

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2–9; depends on species
  • Color Varieties: White with yellow centers
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
  • Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil

• 07 of 12

  Chrysanthemums (Chystanthemum spp.)

  

  The aster family resemblance is strong in chrysanthemums, as is the allergy-inducing pollen. Mums help stretch the allergy season well into the fall. Chrysanthemums are hardy plants that come in a huge range of colors and sizes. They're also popular as container plants and are therefore often part of the indoor environment as well.

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9
  • Color Varieties: Gold, white, off-white, yellow, bronze (rust), red, burgundy, pink, lavender, purple
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Needs: Rich, humusy, moist, well-draining soil

• 08 of 12

  Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

  

  Also in the aster family, ragweed is not considered a garden flower, though it is sometimes planted by gardeners who appreciate its ability to feed bees. It is often confused with goldenrod (Solidago), which is a lovely garden plant that has gotten a bum rap. Goldenrod is not wind-pollinated and does not irritate allergies. Ragweed, with its weedy, inconspicuous flowers, is pollinated by the wind. Ragweed tends to grow alongside roads and in vacant lots.

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–10
  • Color Varieties: Yellow, turning to brown
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
  • Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, average soil

  Continue to 9 of 12 below.

• 09 of 12

  Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)

  

  The sheer size of a sunflower's center disk is an indicator of the copious amounts of pollen that it can produce. Making matters worse, this pollen is dispersed by the wind. Because sunflowers are not fragrant, they often get overlooked as allergy plants. There are some pollen-free sunflower varieties, like 'Apricot Twist' and 'Joker' that are listed as hypoallergenic, because their pollen is too heavy to be wind-borne.

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–11
  • Color Varieties: Yellow, red, mahogany, bicolors
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Needs: Any well-drained soil

• 10 of 12

  Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.)

  

  The Amaranthus genus contains dozens of species, many of which are grown as ornamental garden or culinary plants, but allergy sufferers are likely to think of all of them by the common name assigned to weedy annual varieties—pigweed. Amaranths are wind-pollinated plants, producing masses or ultra-fine pollen particles that drift on the faintest breeze.

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2–11 (depends on species)
  • Color Varieties: Red, burgundy, pink, orange, green
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
  • Soil Needs: Moist but well-drained soil

• 11 of 12

  Ornamental Grasses (Various spp.)

  

  Ornamental grass species favored by gardeners are found in many genera, but like lawn turf grasses, nearly all orgnamental grasses are pollinated by the wind and will cause problems for allergy sufferers.

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2–11 (depends on species)
  • Color Varieties: Depends on the species
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
  • Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil

• 12 of 12

  English Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)

  

  Many people have allergic reactions to both the pollen of English lavender and to its odor. Plants with the fragrant blossoms that bloom in clusters of small flowers are often especially likely to cause nasal allergies, since they tend to be wind pollinators.

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–8
  • Color Varieties: Blue, purple
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil