Cottonwood allergy

"Cottonwood allergy" is a very common complaint and reason people visit an allergy specialist. However, this is usually a case of mistaken identity. Although cottonwood trees produce pollen that can cause significant allergy problems, cottonwood and most other trees release their pollen in the early spring. Cottonwood pollen is invisible. Cottonwoods also produce "tufts" or seeds that float through the air on warm summer days. When people experience allergy symptoms on these days they associate their symptoms with the floating tufts or seeds from the cottonwood tree. These tufts are not capable of causing significant respiratory allergy. Grass pollen, which is also invisible, peaks in the late spring and early summer coincident with the appearance of the cottonwood tufts. Grass pollen is the likely offender when "cottonwood allergy" is suspected.