Allergies are common among the population of the earth…
… and they come in different kinds and cause.
One of them being allergic to certain indoor plants due to their pollen…
… or maybe their smell and dust accumulating on their leaves.
Hear it from Kay!
I always have an itchy nose, I mean like sensitive to sorts of particles and smell…
In severe occasions, I will sneeze endlessly for minutes – and it’s exhausting…
Primarily, what causes my nose to itch is every time I sniff on plants around me…
… like in my house, my school, the way from home to school, and basically everywhere I go!
I just love plants, so I don’t want to blame it on them…
Nonetheless, it is their fault – most of the time…
My doctor said it was because of the smell of the plants…
… which bring along pollen with it that makes me sneeze endlessly.
Is there maybe plants that won’t cause me to sneeze everytime?
I bet you’re having the same problem…
That’s why you’re here now in this article to find out which plants will do you good…
… and which plants will worsen the allergic reactions you’ve been getting.
First of all…
Are Indoor Plants Bad For Allergies?
Plants can influence the occurrence of asthma…
Allergies can trigger asthma attacks, but asthma is far more common than allergies…
Both can be very serious conditions, but allergies are much more common than asthma…
People who are allergic to peanuts, milk, gluten, eggs, and dozens of other foods…
… probably know someone who avoids them entirely.
It is impossible not to know someone with a peanut allergy because allergens are so common nowadays…
Pollen may be the reason why some people avoid houseplants like the plague, but is that even true?
Plant allergies are complex. Chief among allergies are allergies to pollen but not everyone reacts to pollen or the same pollen. Some people may also react to touching a plant or odors given off by a plant that have nothing to do with pollen. A medical allergist may be needed to help identify which specific allergens one needs to avoid.
Missouri Botanical Garden
Even though not all indoor plants cause allergies, some can react with people…
… through inhalation or through contact with their parts.
Moreover…
Plants can cause allergies through the pollen and airborne particles they release…
… but the sap that they make can also cause discomfort, itching and swelling when it comes in contact with the skin.
One of the important things to remember is that indoor plants…
… tend not to cause as many problems as outdoor plants.
Likewise…
If you know which indoor plants you are allergic to and which you should avoid…
… you can keep plants that meet those criteria and enjoy them not only inside your home but also outside.
If you choose plants that do not emit airborne pollen, have no perfume, or produce no sap…
… you’ll be able to enjoy the full benefits plants provide without any of the headaches.
Allergy-Friendly Indoor Plants
Unlike in the case of asthma, it’s not a straightforward answer here…
… especially since you could have asthma without having allergies…
… in which case you are fine with everything in your house.
When you are allergic to pollen, you might not care how well the plants filter the air…
… as long as they don’t release plenty of pollen.
Keep these three rules in mind when choosing indoor plants that reduce allergies:
Avoid high pollen producers. Unlike asthma, but even more, pollen is the main cause…
Remember!
You should stick to plants which pollinate only by females, plants that require bees to pollinate…
… or plants with heavy pollen that cannot become airborne.
Avoid plants that are hard to care for…
The plant is easy to overwater and develop fungus, or it secretes a lot of sap and requires constant care…
This species is best suited to people without allergy symptoms…
Look for plants with smooth leaves…
If the plant is resistant to dust and is low maintenance and requires little maintenance, then this is a good indicator…
What kind of indoor plants are best for people with allergies now that the rules are in place?
Dracaena
Why is it a good choice? Dracaenas are tough plants almost impossible to kill…
You don’t have to worry about pollen or mold, and their leaves do not trap dust…
They are wonderful for air purification…
Petunia
Why is it a good choice? Despite their pretty appearance and ladylike quality…
… these plants are not related to allergies since there is no airborne pollen or sap to bother with.
In order to avoid overwatering and developing fungus…
.. you just need to water once a week on the same day.
Hibiscus
Why is it a good choice? For the same reasons…
… the hibiscus has become a favorite plant among allergy sufferers.
They possess no odor or sap, have self-pollination capability and are hard to overwater…
Peace Lily
Why is it a good choice? The benefits of this plant just cannot be excluded…
For the same reason we already stated, they are also great for allergic people…
Tulip
Why is it a good choice? Although tulips are thought to be low maintenance…
… I would consider them more of a medium maintenance plant than heavy duty such as the Dracaena.
Not as durable as the Dracaena but not too bad either…
It’s also important to note that tulips are extremely hardy, have a low pollen count…
… and the pollen is too heavy to blow, so the pollen cannot get into the air.
Also, do you know anyone who does not like tulips?
Unfriendly Indoor Plants For Allergy
Keeping it as general as possible, here are the 3 rules for how to choose indoor plants…
… that will not aggravate your allergies:
Avoid the male trees. The thing about male plants I really want to highlight…
… is that they tend to spread so much pollen that you will sneeze simply by observing them.
Pollen is enemy number 1.
You should avoid plants that release a lot of pollen…
… if they are known to do so, regardless of whether it is the male or female of the species.
Avoid strong fragrances. If you are allergic, strong odors are a trigger and this includes plants…
Many people do not realize this until it’s too late…
Is there any indoor plant that is worse than others for allergies? Let’s check it out!
Male Palm Trees
Bad level: 4.5/5
Why is it a bad choice? My list appears again, but this time number one because pollen…
… which makes up the number one problem with plants and allergies, is very high.
Male palm trees produce a great deal of pollen…
Ficus
Bad level: 4/5
Why is it a bad choice? The Ficus plant, which is a popular one for people with allergies…
… comes back for being one of their favorite plants in the list and it only makes their allergies worse.
Unfortunately, they usually let go of the plant when they realize what’s wrong…
… which makes ficus plants a bit of an enemy of plants in general.
Daisies
Bad level: 4/5
Why is it a bad choice? Daisies look like harmless, cute little plants…
… and their pollination by bees is often seen in movies…
… as daisies are usually pollinated directly by bees without being released into the atmosphere.
It has such a high pollen count that even if you were just near it, you would develop an allergic reaction…
English Ivy
Bad level: 4/5
Why is it a bad choice? There is a possibility that they cause allergic skin reactions…
… itching, and swelling as a result of releasing pollen.
They also look harmless and might be part of the problem…
Pine (Christmas Tree)
Bad level: 3.5/5
Why is it a bad choice? This is kind of cheating, but technically…
… this is a plant that is in your house at least once a year. I guess that’s what the point is…
Christmas trees may not have flowers, but they are trees nonetheless…
… so as such they tend to cause allergic symptoms.
Also, they are notorious for spreading mold and dust like crazy…
African violets also belong on my list of plants that are bad for allergies…
… because of the dust and mold they collect, but I decided to mix it up a bit.
So there you have it, indoor plants can still be beneficial even for people with asthma or allergies…
… all you have to do is select the right ones.
To sum it up…
Having allergies is not necessarily a bad thing…
… because you can still enjoy plants which have a variety of characteristics to choose!
Just remember to choose plants that has no pollen or airborne particles…
… that may fly throughout the room and end up on you.
Choose on from the list above, since you won’t regret having them at all!
Conclusion
If you still have any further queries, comment down below…
You can also contact us for any suggestions or revisions need to be made…
… so we can grow together as a gardening community!
Check out more of our posts in this website like this one here!
Have an awesome gardening journey!