Spring arrives this coming week, bringing abundant new growth in our parks and gardens – and for some people, hay fever.
Your garden need not be the source of allergies, though. While it’s easy to think that because a flower has a strong perfume you’re probably allergic to it, the pollen in most flowers and indoor plants is not carried by wind or air but rather by pollinators such as birds, bees and other insects. The one that’s getting up your nose is more likely to be air-borne pollen from grasses, trees or weeds.
Acacias (Wattle) trees are sometimes shunned when they are right in the midst of their glorious flowering, yet according to the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), skin prick tests rarely show them to be allergenic. Some species of Casuarina (she oaks) may cause allergic rhinitis symptoms, but White Cypress (Murray) Pine, which grows throughout inland Australia and flowers in July and August, is the only Australian tree that produces highly allergenic pollen.
Many trees, flowers and grasses have minimal impact, so find out what you’re sensitive to, then set about growing a garden you can enjoy all year round.
Here are some trees and flowering plants you can grow that will allow hay fever sufferers and asthmatics alike to enjoy their time outdoors.
If you want flowers, grow traditional plants such as roses, petunias, pansies, impatiens, lavender or camellias. Likewise, flowering bushes/trees might include citrus, frangipani, tibouchina, hibiscus or chinese lantern.
As with Acacias, many Australian native plants tend to be low-allergen, and have sweet, nectar-filled flowers that will bring colour, birds and bees to your garden year-round, such as:
– Kangaroo Paw
– Callistemon
– Grevillea
– Banksia
– Bottlebrush
– Tea tree and even grass trees (Xanthorrea australis)
If you’re still nervous and prefer to avoid flowers altogether, try planting colourful foliage plants such as Cordyline, Kangaroo Grass, Coleus, or New Zealand flax.
