Hay fever? These flowers cause the fewest complaints

• Posted on 26 February 2025
• By Annelies
• 0

Do you suffer from hay fever? But you think flowers and plants are beautiful? Below I list a number of flowers that cause the least symptoms of hay fever. These flowers are very friendly to it and fortunately you do not have to avoid them during the flowering and pollen season.

Do you suffer from hay fever? But you think flowers and plants are beautiful? Below I list a number of flowers that cause the least symptoms of hay fever. These flowers are very friendly to it and fortunately you do not have to avoid them during the flowering and pollen season.

Hay fever

One in eight people in Europe suffer from hay fever in spring or summer. Unfortunately, you may then feel the spring fever. And then you also suffer from those super annoying sneezing fits and a stuffy nose. This is caused by hay fever, it occurs in people who are allergic to pollen. Pollen is produced in flowers, trees, houseplants, grass and weeds. Most people understand hay fever as an allergy to tree pollen or grass pollen. Fortunately, with this annual allergic reaction you can still enjoy certain colorful flowers in your home or garden.

Which flowers cause the most complaints?

The flowers below cause the most complaints:

- Chrysanths

- Goldenrods

- Lily 

- Marguerite

- Matricaria

- Sunflower

These flowers have light and dusty pollen that moves easily with the wind. People with a pollen allergy have a very high chance of being affected by these plant species.

Flowers to avoid are wind pollinators. Here the pollen is carried by the wind, allowing them to travel long distances for pollination. Much of this pollen ends up on the ground and is then lost. For this reason, the flowers and plants must produce extra pollen. This increases pollination for these wind pollinators.

What causes this?

The impact of this allergy on certain people is enormous. You will immediately experience a runny nose, sneezing fits and watery eyes. In addition to eye and nose complaints, you may also have difficulty concentrating and sleeping. People often also have complaints of shortness of breath and headache. So it can affect your daily activities. The symptoms of hay fever are very similar to cold symptoms.

Hay fever first develops in the respiratory tract due to a reaction of the immune system. This happens after inhaling pollen, when it is floating freely in the air. In some cases, people can suffer from hay fever for several weeks. This is often the case during the flowering season.

Some people are allergic to different types of grasses and trees. However, they can suffer from it all spring and summer. Anyone who is allergic to tree pollen will suffer from hay fever complaints, especially in February, March and April. If you are allergic to grass pollen, you will have complaints from May to July.

But which flowers are suitable if you suffer from hay fever?

Fortunately, there are also flowers that you can enjoy if you suffer from hay fever. Some safe options are:

- Antirrhinum

- Astrantia

- Clematis

- Dianthus

- Eustoma

- Gerbera

- Hortensia

- Iris

- Peony

- Rose mallow

- Roza

- Tulip

These flowers are pollinated by insects such as bees, butterflies, beetles and other insects. Certain plants are also pollinated with the help of birds. This is because the pollen cannot be blown by the wind. This means the plant has to produce much less pollen. For this method of pollination, the flowers must be very colorful. Their brightly colored flowers can easily attract the attention of insects. The risk of hay fever is therefore small with these colorful flowers, which contain very little pollen.

Of course, it depends from person to person how you react to certain flower and plant species during the pollen seasons. There is no guarantee that you will not suffer from these hay fever-friendly flowers. They still contain pollen, although the content is very low. So there is a chance that your body will react a little to it.

Useful and smart tips against hay fever

Are you now at home with a beautiful bouquet of fresh cut flowers and do you notice that you are suffering more from your hay fever? Then it would of course be a shame to throw the bouquet away. Fortunately, we have a good tip for you: cut the pollen from the flowers. This can be done with a small pair of scissors and if you do it neatly, the flowers will remain just as beautiful and will last just as long in your vase.

Suitable houseplants that cannot cause hay fever are also perfect for improving the air quality in your home. They freshen the indoor air by purifying the toxins in the room. They also allow fresh oxygen into the room.

Would you like to have a bouquet delivered to someone with hay fever?

Then roses or gerberas are always the safest choice. But a field bouquet or beautiful round bouquet is also fine. Simply indicate in the comments that the bouquet must be hay fever-free, and I will ensure that the recipient gets almost or no jitters from your beautiful gift!