Got Allergies? Plants to Avoid and Plants to Grow Instead
Got allergies? It helps to know which are the best plants and worst plants for allergies—plus, here are six smart practices to cut down on allergic reactions.
Depending on what triggers your allergic reactions—tree pollen, dust, mold spores, grasses, weeds, or strongly scented flowers—there are irritants present from early spring until hard frost. As hard as we try to eliminate the offending plants from our own landscapes, many of the worst offenders are windblown pollens that can be carried from plants blooming far away from our backyards.
Help for an Allergic Gardener
There are some commonsense practices that can help lessen the chances of exposure to allergens.
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- Avoid working in your garden when pollen counts are high.
- Stay indoors on windy days during peak pollen seasons.
- Cover your body when gardening or mowing the lawn. Some really sensitive gardeners wear a dust mask to filter out pollen.
- Shower well and wash your gardening clothes after you have finished working outside.
- Don’t hang your laundry outdoors to dry on high pollen count days.
- Close the windows when you or a neighbor mows the lawn, and keep them closed for a few hours afterward.
Choosing Low-Allergen Plants
A general rule of thumb when searching for low-allergen plants is to look for showy or brightly colored flowers. These are usually insect- or animal-pollinated instead of wind-pollinated.
Some of the plainest-looking plants, such as ragweed, are the worst offenders.
Strongly scented plants can trigger an allergic reaction and are also, sadly, best eliminated from your garden.
Some annuals that are good to use in a low-allergy garden plan are:
- snapdragons
- impatiens
- begonias
- forget-me-nots
- lobelia
- petunias
- phlox
- salvia
- pansies
- nasturtiums
- verbena
There are also many perennials that are perfect for creating an allergy-free garden, including:
- astilbe
- columbine
- delphinium
- daylilies
- campanulas
- peonies
- Siberian iris
- Oriental poppies
- veronicas
- hollyhocks
- cranesbill
- obedient plant
- trollius
- balloon flower
- filipendula
- meadow rue
- gentian
Other plants to consider are:
High-Allergen Plants
Some allergen-producing plants to avoid are:
- ornamental grasses
- marigolds
- yarrow
- monkshood
- daisies
- asters
- primroses
- coneflowers
- sunflowers
- heliotrope
- zinnias
- dusty miller
- sweet peas
- cleome
- cosmos
Climbers to leave out of your garden include:
- Trumpet vine
- honeysuckle
- morning glories
Also, steer clear of shrubs like:
- elder
- daphne
- buddleia
- mock orange
- clethra
- lilacs
Please share your thoughts about how to deal with allergies, especially in the backyard!
Robin Sweetser
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I suffer every year from March to June as I am allergic to to birch and other tree pollens (and many fruits and nuts).
I have been particularly bad this year but it was beginning to reduce until the last few days. We have a wygelia. Normally it has a few flowers. This year it is covered from top to bottom, looks magnificent, my symptoms have got worse again and I start sneezing immediately I go in the back garden where the wygelia is. I have to conclude that it is the wygelia, despite that you have it as medium risk and others low risk (as it is pollinated by insects).
Eating local honey helps to alleviate allergies. It gives a nice boost to the respiratory & immunity.
The pictures of the flowers are just beautiful - I just wish that they are/were identified with their names.
Your articles are great, with a lot of wonderful information. Thank you!
I find bearded irises the absolute worst for my allergies. As long as they are in a bed far away from the house it's okay. A neighbor cut some for us and I nearly passed out in the first few minutes. Out they went!!!
Same thing happens to me!
This may be an odd question. I have a severe nickel allergy, I break out if I even eat foods containing nickel. Lets take tomatoes as an example. My understanding is that they would get their nickel content from the soil. Is there any way to rid my soil of nickel content and if so would tomatoes still grow ok?
Horace, I have the exact same allergy. It has been so bad that I pretty much lived in hospitals for the last 3 years before I found out what I have. The only way to lower the nickel content is to plant hydroponically. Also research aquaponics... same thing but even better because its done through fish. Hope this helps!
