What Plants Should I Avoid Because of My Allergies? (2024)

Does plant pollen trigger your allergies? You can make some changes in your yard and still enjoy gardening.

Many flowers, shrubs, trees, and grasses make very little or even no pollen. And some species produce it only in certain plants. For those, all you need to do is to make sure you have female plants -- the ones that don't make the sneezy, yellow stuff.

This list will help you know what garden plants and flowers to avoid and which are fine, despite your allergies.

Worst Plants for Allergies

You can expect more plant pollen and seasonal allergies if you put any of these plants in your yard.

Flowers/herbs

Amaranth (pigweed), chamomile, chrysanthemums, daisies,ordinary sunflowers.

Shrubs/vines

Cypress, jasmine vine, juniper, wisteria.

Trees

Alder, ash (male), aspen (male), beech, birch, box elder (male), cedar (male), cottonwood (male), elm, hickory, red and silver maples (male), mulberry (male), oak, olive, palm (male), pecan, pine, poplar (male), sycamore, walnut, willow (male).

Grasses

Bermuda, fescue, Johnson, June, orchard, perennial rye, redtop, salt grass, sweet vernal, timothy.

Weeds

co*cklebur, ragweed, Russian thistle, sagebrush.

Better Choices

You'll have fewer worries with these plants that make little to no airborne pollen. So you can enjoy working with them and watching them grow.

Flowers

Begonia, cactus, chenille, clematis, columbine, crocus, daffodil, dusty miller, geranium, hosta, impatiens, iris, lily, pansy, periwinkle, petunia, phlox, rose, salvia, snapdragon, thrift, tulip, verbena, zinnia.

Hypoallergenic sunflower seeds

All these grow 5 to 6 feet tall, and the pollen is too heavy to be spread easily.

Apricot Twist (apricot with gold center), Infrared Mix (dark crimson, ruby, golden-reds), The Joker (showy red-and-yellow double blooms), Pro-Cut Bicolor (stunning mahogany and yellow with black centers).

Shrubs

Azalea, boxwood (if clipped often), hibiscus, hydrangea, viburnum.

Trees

Apple, cherry, Chinese fan palm (female), fern pine (female), dogwood, English holly (female), Bradford pear, crepe myrtle, hardy rubber tree, magnolia, pear, plum, red maple (female).

Grasses

St. Augustine.

What Plants Should I Avoid Because of My Allergies? (2024)

FAQs

Which plants cause the most allergies? ›

Here are the top allergens found in North America:
  • ragweed: throughout. North America.
  • mountain. cedar: Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
  • ryegrass: throughout. North America.
  • maple: throughout North America.
  • elm: throughout most of North America.
  • mulberry: ...
  • pecan: Southern states in the U.S.
  • oak:

Should you have plants if you have allergies? ›

Fortunately, you do not have to let your caution keep you from adding some plant life to your home decor. Not all houseplants will trigger allergy symptoms in those with allergic rhinitis. In fact, some plants may even be able to improve the air quality of your home.

Which house plants cause allergies? ›

The following indoor plants are known to trigger an allergy:

waxplant, Hoya carnosa (respiratory tract reaction) ferns (respiratory tract reaction) peace lily Spathiphyllum wallisii (runny nose, respiratory tract reaction, contact allergy) philodendron species Ph.

What plants are good for seasonal allergies? ›

Consider the Peace Lily, Marginata or English Ivy.

What are the top 3 rarest allergies? ›

The top three rarest allergies include Aquagenic Urticaria, an allergy to water causing hives upon skin contact; Seminal Plasma Hypersensitivity, an allergy to proteins in sem*n; and Dermographism, an allergic reaction causing skin welts from light scratches or pressure.

What's the worst allergy to have? ›

Shellfish, Fish, Anaphylaxis

Shellfish and fish allergies can be so serious that just the cooking vapors can sometimes trigger an allergic reaction. As a reaction gets worse, tissues swell, blocking airways, and people can have deadly heart and circulation problems.

Are spider plants bad for allergies? ›

People love to hang spider plants because of their long and elegant leaves. You often see spider plants in office spaces. These plants are a common allergen, and if you have one hanging anywhere near a fan or a vent, you'll spread that pollen throughout the house.

Can potted plants cause allergies? ›

A couple of allergens indoor plants may give off include but are not limited to: Pollen. Avoid pollen-heavy plants, such as chrysanthemums and palms, if you are sensitive.

Are ferns bad for allergies? ›

Ferns. Ferns are commonly chosen as an indoor houseplant because they aren't toxic, making them a good option for people with children and pets. However, people with allergies may have a bad reaction to ferns. Breathing in fern spores can aggravate allergies and cause sneezing and itchiness.

What indoor plants make you cough? ›

The worst house plants for indoor gardeners with allergies include3-4:
  • Weeping fig.
  • Bonsai.
  • Ferns.
  • Male Palms and Yuccas.
  • African Violet.
  • Chrysanthemums.
  • Orchids.
  • Marigolds.

How do you tell if your house is giving you allergies? ›

If you're stuffed up, sneeze, or get itchy eyes all from the comfort of your home, you may have an indoor allergy. It's triggered by things like pet dander, dust mites, mold spores, and co*ckroaches.

Are snake plants good for allergies? ›

By releasing oxygen and adding moisture to the air, snake plants can help lessen the impact of airborne allergens like dust and dander. Since poor indoor air quality has been linked to many health-related issues like allergies and asthma, this is a definite benefit.

What plant are most people allergic to? ›

Worst Plants for Allergies

You can expect more plant pollen and seasonal allergies if you put any of these plants in your yard. Amaranth (pigweed), chamomile, chrysanthemums, daisies, ordinary sunflowers. Cypress, jasmine vine, juniper, wisteria.

What is the fastest way to fix seasonal allergies? ›

Try an over-the-counter remedy
  1. Oral antihistamines. Antihistamines can help relieve sneezing, itching, a stuffy or runny nose, and watery eyes. ...
  2. Corticosteroid nasal sprays. These medications improve nasal symptoms. ...
  3. Cromolyn sodium nasal spray. ...
  4. Oral decongestants.

How I cured my seasonal allergies naturally? ›

Natural Remedies for Relieving Allergy Symptoms
  1. Stay hydrated. When it is dehydrated, your body produces more histamines (the chemicals that cause your allergy symptoms), so drinking enough water—at least one-third of your body weight in ounces—each day is key. ...
  2. Eat Vitamin-C-rich foods. ...
  3. Quercetin. ...
  4. Sinus rinses.
Mar 15, 2023

What plant produces the most pollen? ›

A single ragweed plant can produce billions of pollen grains in one season.

What gives off the most pollen? ›

Plants that give off the most pollen include:
  • Trees like oak, ash, elm, birch, maple, alder, and hazel, as well as hickory, pecan, and box and mountain cedar. ...
  • Grasses like Timothy, Kentucky blue grass, Johnson, Bermuda, redtop, orchard grass, sweet vernal, perennial rye, salt grass, velvet, and fescue.
May 11, 2023

What pollen are most people allergic to? ›

  • Birch pollen allergy. Birch pollen is one of the most common airborne allergens during the spring. ...
  • Oak pollen allergy. Like birch trees, oak trees send pollen into the air during the spring. ...
  • Grass pollen allergy. Grass is the primary trigger of pollen allergies during the spring and summer months. ...
  • Ragweed pollen allergy.
Apr 7, 2022

What plants cause respiratory problems? ›

Other shrubs and trees which can trigger symptoms in some people include alder, ash, coprosma, cypress, elm, liquidambar, maple, mulberry and plane trees. Flowers in the Asteraceae family can also be a trigger – these include daisies, marigolds, and chrysanthemums. Strongly scented plants can also affect some people.

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