| om-link"> | | | | At the same time that the female willows and |
| Cottonwood cotton is flying/ Bad | | | | cottonwoods are releasing all that harmless fluff |
| Company | | | | into the air, the birch trees have just finished |
| Ó Thomas Leo Ogren | | | | shedding large amounts of pollen, much of which |
| I originally saw the question below posted in an | | | | is still lying around on the ground. In southern |
| Internet gardening forum and decided to answer | | | | areas the alders often bloom twice (as will many |
| it. It was a question I’d been asked many | | | | birch and junipers) and the second bloom of the |
| times before and I knew my answer would be | | | | alders sometimes will coincide precisely with the |
| useful in an article on springtime allergies caused | | | | flying of the cotton. |
| by city trees. So I saved it to share with you | | | | Also to take into consideration is that by the point |
| here. | | | | in the year when the cottony seeds of the |
| Does anyone else here really suffer from | | | | willows and poplars starts to float about, most of |
| allergies when the seeds of | | | | the male maples and male ash, and a large |
| Cottonwood are flying? I KNOW it is not the | | | | number of other trees and shrubs have already |
| cottonwood but I am reallycurious as to what is | | | | released their own pollen. Unless this pollen was |
| pollinating at the same time. | | | | washed away by strong downpours of rain, much |
| Diana Pederson, Ingham County, Michigan, Zone 5, | | | | of it is still lying about, and is still causing problems, |
| United States, author of Landscaping With Bible | | | | weeks or sometimes even months after it was |
| Plants: | | | | released. |
| That’s a very good question. | | | | To add to all of the above, at precisely this same |
| Around here, as the cotton (the seeds) of | | | | time, the grasses start to release pollen. The |
| the female poplars (cottonwoods and aspens) and | | | | ornamental landscape clump grasses all produce |
| the willows is flying about, so is a good deal of | | | | huge amounts of pollen at this time, as do most |
| pollen from different, unrelated species of trees. It | | | | bluegrass species, bentgrasses, Bahia grasses, and |
| is very common at this precise time that many | | | | especially Bermuda lawns that have not been |
| people are suffering from extreme bouts of hay | | | | kept closely mowed. By the way, the newer |
| fever and often it is this cotton that gets | | | | hybrid Bermuda grasses are sterile and |
| the blame. Some city arborists refuse to plant | | | | pollen-free, but not the old common Bermuda |
| female willows or poplars because of their firm (if | | | | lawns by any means. |
| mistaken) belief that this cotton is really | | | | By the time this poplar and willow cotton is |
| some kind of pollen. But it isn’t pollen; it is | | | | in the air, many people with allergies are already |
| seed. It is NOT what is causing the allergies at | | | | starting to suffer from systems overload. |
| that time. | | | | There is so much pollen being released and so |
| By the time the seeds of the female willow and | | | | much just previously released, that it overwhelms |
| cottonwoods are flying, pollen from the males of | | | | the immune systems of many individuals. The |
| these two species is already spent. However this | | | | result of course is allergy. |
| flying of seed coincides with pollen release of | | | | The sad thing about this whole affair is that all too |
| many allergenic plants. | | | | often these female willows or female poplars, |
| Out West this is the same time that the millions | | | | female cottonwoods, female aspens, they get |
| of urban fruitless male mulberry trees are | | | | blamed for the pollen from the male trees and |
| shedding their highly allergenic pollen. It is also the | | | | then people cut them down! Since female trees |
| time that the olive trees are starting to release | | | | have flowers that are electrically charged negative |
| pollen. The cypress trees and shrubs are releasing | | | | - (their roots are grounded) and since pollen from |
| very large amounts of pollen at this time too, as | | | | male trees picks up a positive + charge as they |
| are the many male Ailanthus trees. At or about | | | | tumble about in the air, the two are mutually |
| the same time the walnut trees are releasing a | | | | attractive. Female trees are powerful air cleaners, |
| large amount of pollen, as are many species of | | | | air scrubbers. Every female tree that is chopped |
| hickory, butternut, and pecan. Perhaps the most | | | | down makes the air in that neighborhood that |
| pervasive at this point are the oaks, many | | | | much more allergenic. |
| species of which are still at this time covered with | | | | We need to protect our females! |
| staminate flowers and just loaded with pollen. | | | | |