Good news: many flowers are allergy-friendly.
Some of the most fragrant garden plants are not allergens at all.
With the flowers removed, these plants will not bring on allergy issues.
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Of course, more and more garden plants are mainlygrown for their foliage.
Here are 25 good choices that most allergy sufferers can enjoy.
Tip
Some highlyfragrant flowersthat do not aggravate allergies can still be irritants with their potent scents.
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It may be best to enjoy the following flowers outdoors: gardenia,hyacinth,jasmine, andlilacs.
Many French hybrid lilacs and the white or yellow varieties are not as highly scented.
Azalea (Rhododendron spp.)
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Azaleasare woody shrubs that are dependent on insects for pollination.
It wouldn’t be wise to sniff an azalea bloom too closely.
There are many hundreds ofdifferent begoniascategorized into several groups.
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All popular types of begoniasincluding rex, tuberous, rhizomatous, or semperflorensare safe bets.
The true tiny, tubular white flowers are inside the colorful bracts and produce very little pollen.
TheBougainvilleagenus contains about 14 species.
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The plants cultivated for the garden are hybrid crosses of various species and their cultivars.
Cactus (Various spp.)
You might not thinkcactus plantshave flowers, but they do.
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Insects and birds take care of that for them.
Camellia (Camellia spp.)
With lovely rose-like flowers, you might suspectcamelliasto be allergy-inducing plants.
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So their pollen does not have to travel far for pollination.
Clematis (Clematis spp.
In addition to the vine forms, there is also low-growing clematis that has a shrublike growth habit.
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Coleus (Coleus spp.)
This pruning will give you a thicker, lusher plant.Coleusplants are easy to propagate through stem cuttings.
Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)
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Geranium (Geranium spp.)
Perennial geraniums(Geranium spp.
), also known as cranesbill, give off very little pollen.
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Breeders have even developed a pollen-free geranium.
Not to be confused with annual zonal geraniums (Pelargonium), both are pollinated by insects.
(Geraniums may not cause sneezing, but some people get contact irritation from touching the leaves.
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Hibiscus (Hibisus spp.
and Hybrids)
Hibiscus flowersproduce very heavy pollen, which is not airborne.
Hosta (Hosta spp.)
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Hostaplants are workhorses in the garden.
Gardeners love them because they require so little care.
SinceHostaflowers are often are cut off before they bloom, there is no problem with allergies.
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However, many cultivars offer pretty, delicate blooms that attract pollinators.
The pollen isn’t windborne, so enjoy these delicate blooms without triggering allergies.
Hydrangea (Hydrangea spp.)
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Mosthydrangeasare not irritants, especially modern cultivars.
However, sensitive people might want to avoid’Pee Gee' hydrangeasand ‘Oak Leaf’ hydrangeas.
Impatiens (Impatiens spp.)
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Still, disease-resistant varieties are now available for this long-time favorite.
Bearded Iris (Iris spp.)
Iris does not depend on the wind for pollination.
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Lilies (Lilium spp.)
Whilelilieshave a good amount of pollen, removing the stamens and the pollen-laden anthers is easy.
Be careful, because the yellow pollen can stain clothes and fingers.
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Even worse, the stems can exude a sap that causes contact irritation in sensitive people.
More likely, skin irritations from the sap someorchidsexude can occur if you are allergic.
Petunia (Petunia spp.)
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Petunias give off a faint scent that becomes much more pronounced when the plants are grown en masse.
However,petuniapollen is not considered an allergen.
Phlox (Phlox.
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Two species of phlox are most common as garden plants:Phlox subulata(creeping phlox)andP.
paniculata(tall garden phlox).
Roses (Rosa spp.
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and Hybrids)
Althoughrosepollen can be airborne, most roses do not trigger hay fever.
The worst culprits seem to be wild species roses.
Roses with dense petalsgenerally hybrid formsrelease less pollen than single flowers.
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Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)
Snapdragonsare an excellent choice for both spring and fall gardens.
Bees love to squeeze their way inside the snapped-shut flower, which keeps its pollen contained.
Spring Bulbs (Various spp.)
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Most spring bulbs are self-pollinating.
Although their pollen can become airborne, the flowers tend to be very low in pollen.
This grouping includes some of the most popular spring bloomers, includingcrocus,daffodils, hyacinth, andtulips.
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Deadheading the spent flowers will encourage further blooms.
Verbena (Verbena x hybrida)
Verbena plants are suggested forattracting more pollinatorsto your garden.
Potted verbenas can be brought indoors to overwinter as houseplants.
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Viola and Pansy (Viola spp.
There are many heights and flower shapes of zinnia available.
Zinnias will readily self-seed in the garden.
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If you’re planting newer hybrid varieties, the seedlings may not come true to the parent plants.
Klein-Schwartz W, Litovitz T.Azalea Toxicity: An Overrated Problem?J Toxicol Clin Toxicol.
1985;23(2-3):91-101. doi:10.3109/15563658508990620
Pelargonium.North Carolina State Extension.
The Spruce / Marie Iannotti
Toxic Plants.University of California.
