‘Just a nuisance, not a concern’: Cottonwood in the air is not responsible for your allergies

USA – There’s something special in the air this week and our resident horticulture expert, Ciscoe Morris, says Washingtonians should “get used to it because our cotton plants aren’t going away. !”

Gardening Master Ciscoe Morris is answering a question from many people who have noticed the sky is full of “smooth whites” and says that a common misconception is easy to clear up.

“They’re really seeds on the parachute and don’t pose a problem for your allergies, there are lots of other things that do,” says Morris. Black cotton tree It is native to the area and thrives in humid conditions. The tree can be over 100 feet tall and has a trunk 6 feet wide.

Cotton plants have separate male and female flowers. The male flowers release pollen in March but do so in May. The flying phenomenon is the release of the female flower.

“They are seeds on an umbrella and when they hit the ground, they can germinate in a day,” says Morris.

Ciscoe says that allergy confusion is easy to resolve.

“You can’t make seeds until you’ve been pollinated, so the seeds that fall are hypoallergenic,” says Morris.

Weather plays an important role in this phenomenon and the lack of rain and light winds will help the fluff fly away.

“Trees love moisture so they’re usually near water, but the wind picks it up over long distances, which is why some neighborhoods look like snow and some don’t,” Morris said. .

Cotton fiber can last up to two weeks and can go as far as 5 miles.

It’s not Cottonwood, it’s grass. A single flower can contain 10 million pollen grains.

“You’ll never get rid of Cottonwoods, so you might as well learn to love falling cotton things!” Morris said.