July 11th, 2019
Blue skies, the smell of freshly cut grass, the sun beating down on your shoulders and ha ha ha CHOO! Your nose is running, your eyes are itchy and you can’t stop sneezing! What a way to ruin a lovely sunny day, thanks a lot hayfever, you spoil sport! All you want to do is sit in your beautiful garden surrounded by tree leaves rustling in the wind and flowers dancing around in the breeze but you venture indoors and hide from the pollen attack. Don’t let allergies ruin your enjoyment of nature, MadFlowers are here to help with our guide to the best and worst flowers for our hayfever friends.
Why do I have a reaction with some plants and not others?
Well, put simply, it very much has to do with the gender of the plant, as females do not produce pollen and male plants do. ‘Dioecious’ flowers are flowers that contain all male or all female flowers, they must count on the wind or insects (like bees) to collect pollen from the female plant and bring it to the male plant, which allows them to reproduce. This pollen floating through the air is what most commonly irritates hayfever sufferers, some plants produce pollen too heavy for wind, insects will carry their pollen instead, making them great for allergy sufferers. ‘Monoecious’ plants or ‘perfect flowers’ will contain both male and female flowers, meaning pollen doesn’t need to travel by wind to reproduce making them less of a threat to those with allergies.
There are quite a few flowers that have little to no pollen in them, or the pollen they produce is too heavy to become airborne, with their pollen being collected by insects instead making them a great choice to plant in your garden or give a bouquet to a friend who is a victim of hayfever.
Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are renowned for their soft, pastel colours such as lilac, powder blue and baby pink. They add a lovely fullness to any bouquet due to their sizeable round blooms. They are very popular for flower gardens as they can re-bloom every spring and summer ! They also happen to produce very little pollen, so they’re great for allergy sufferers!
Lilys
Lilys are such elegant flowers which carry a gorgeous fragrance. They have distinctive speckles and patterns making them a truly unique choice, you can find them in a variety of stunning tones like pure white, pink and purple. Their pollen is typically of the heavier variety and is carried by insects, and so they are unlikely to have you sneezing and sniffling!
Orchid
Orchids are a stunning tropical flower that grows all year round, they come in a fabulous variety of colours and need very little looking after, they can be potted on their own or placed into a beautiful bouquet. They have a luxurious, elegant look and add a modern touch to any space. Check out MadFlowers stunning orchid choices below :
Peony
Peonies are a stunning option for allergy sufferers, their petals actually trap pollen due to their shape and have pollen spread by insects rather than the wind. They add a gorgeous warmth to any bouquet with their rich pink colour range and beautiful shape.
Roses
Roses release only tiny amounts of pollen into the wind, making them a popular choice that won’t irritate hayfever sufferers. They are one of the worlds most stunning flowers, adding colour and life to any garden and making the perfect gift for any occasion.
Flowers you should avoid
Although there are many choices for flowers that won’t upset your hayfever, you should also take note of what you should avoid. The following flowers are notorious for causing symptoms of hayfever: Amaranth (pigweed), chamomile, chrysanthemums, daisies, goldenrod, ordinary sunflowers.
