Rebecca Rosenberger is the Associate Director of U.S. Clinical Affairs & Education in the Immunodiagnostics Division at Thermo Fisher Scientific and a physician assistant specializing in allergy & immunology.

If you sneeze, cough, have a runny nose, or experience other common allergy symptoms produced nearby but rather from sources miles away. While there are thousands of plants that cause allergic reactions, the most common pollen allergy triggers are grasses, trees, and weeds. Here are some of the usual suspects for each. ¹

So what is pollen, exactly?

In technical terms, it’s the male fertilizing agent of flowering plants, trees, grasses, and weeds.2 In nontechnical terms, it’s the yellow powdery stuff that coats your car during spring.

Due to pollen’s microscopic size, it travels easily through the air, especially on windy days. This means that your allergic reaction might not be caused by pollen produced nearby but rather from sources miles away. While there are thousands of plants that cause allergic reactions, the most common pollen allergy triggers are grasses, trees, and weeds. Here are some of the usual suspects for each:

Common Grass Pollen Allergy Triggers

Bermuda
Johnson
Kentucky bluegrass
Ryegrass
Sweet vernal
Timothy

Common Tree Pollen Allergy Triggers

Birch
Beech
Boxelder
Cottonwood
Cypress
Elm
Maple sycamore
Mountain juniper
Mulberry
Oak
Olive
Pecan and hickory
Walnut

Common Weed Pollen Allergy Triggers

Common pigweed
Common ragweed
English plantain
Goosefoot
Mugwort
Saltwort
Wall pellitory

Typical symptoms and management tips

Pollen allergy symptoms can include:

Sneezing
Runny nose
Scratchy throat
Irritated eyes
Coughing

Here are seven tips to help you deal with pollen—and save a few tissues:⁴

Shower after working outside. Wash hair, eyes, and eyelashes.
Remove work clothes outdoors, place them in a bag, and carry them to the washing machine.
Consider taking your allergy medicines before going outdoors if directed by your healthcare provider.
Stay indoors when pollen counts are high for pollens you’re allergic to.
Have someone else do your yard work, or wear a microfiber facemask.
At home and when driving, keep windows closed, and when possible, use an air conditioner.
Use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters for furnace and vacuum cleaners.

Knowing that your symptoms can change from day to day depending on the weather, and that they could be caused by pollen floating in the air from miles away, doesn’t make finding relief any easier. But learning more about potential causes, allergy testing options, and trigger-avoidance methods is a good start. To learn more about your pollen allergy symptoms, check out our in-depth analysis of symptoms here.

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