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A Hay Fever Sufferer’s Guide to Office Flowers

If you’re a hay fever sufferer it can be difficult to know which flowers will or wont trigger allergies. Often, this can lead to avoiding flowers entirely. However, it needn’t be that way. For hay fever sufferers who still want to enjoy flowers in the office, there are allergy-friendly options that release minimal pollen and are insect-pollinated.

Nevertheless, some flowers can trigger symptoms due to their high pollen levels, so it’s important to choose wisely during allergy season so you can fully enjoy your blooms without any unwanted side effects.

In the Western world, between 10-30% of people suffer from hay fever each year, making it one of the most common allergies. Allergic rhinitis, as it is known in the medical world, is where the immune system overreacts to allergens such as pollen, and has the symptoms of sneezing, blocked or runny noses, and itchy, watering eyes.

Usually only occurring in the spring and summer months, people with hay fever have to avoid exposure to pollens that affect their allergies or take medicines.

Busting the myth around flowers

Because flowers release pollen, those suffering from allergic rhinitis often think that they have to avoid flowers altogether. Not all flowers are bad to be around, though; some produce less pollen, are insect-pollinated, or have pollen that is too large to spread far. So that those with hay fever can enjoy flowers in the office without aggravating their allergies, we’re going to list the best (and worst) office flowers during allergy season.

The Best Hay Fever Friendly Office Flowers

Although some flowers should be avoided, there is still a diverse range of safe office flowers.

Insect-Pollinated Office Flowers

Not all flowers release their pollen into the air; some plants stick their pollen to the legs of insects that then release the pollen on a different flower. These kinds of flowers have thick and sticky pollen, reducing the risk of any pollen getting into your eyes or nose and causing hay fever symptoms.

There is a wide variety of office flowers in this group, available in many colours and sizes, so you’re likely to find something that will please you without aggravating your allergies.

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Popular insect-pollinated office flowers include:

Pansies
Peonies
Hydrangeas
Orchids
Primroses
Carnations
Roses

All species of English roses release only small amounts of pollen into the air. This includes all the different colours and sizes, so you’re unlikely to have any prolonged symptoms from this species of office flower. If you still find that roses are causing your allergies some bother, you can find tight-budded varieties of these office flowers that release even less pollen into the air.

Hypoallergenic Sunflowers

Ordinary sunflowers are particularly bad for those with allergies, but there is a species of hypoallergenic sunflowers.

Coming in various colours and varieties, hypoallergenic sunflowers have pollen that is too large to be spread easily in the air, so you’re unlikely to feel any symptoms unless your nose and the flower come into contact.

Flowers to Avoid

Some office flowers cause particularly bad symptoms in hay fever sufferers, and it is best to know what these are to avoid them as much as possible. Most pollen that people with hay fever are allergic to comes from trees and grass, but there are some office flowers you should avoid too.

Although the hypoallergenic sunflowers mentioned above won’t aggravate allergies, the ordinary variety will. These flowers have a notably large center that releases large amounts of pollen. Another flower to avoid is jasmine, which releases a lot of pollen. Although some love the strong scent it gives off, hay fever sufferers will often find themselves sneezing badly when near.

Lilies are said to be bad for hay fever sufferers because they release large amounts of pollen, but you needn’t avoid this species altogether, as it is possible to have the pollen removed from the bulb.

Contact Us For Expert Services

People’s allergies can differ so you may find that you are more allergic to certain species than others. This means that even if one person is particularly allergic to one species, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will be too. Make note of which flowers set your allergies off to give you a better idea of what you should be avoiding and what is fine.

Here at Planteria, we’re experts in all things flowers. Whether it’s choosing flowers that won’t aggravate allergies or selecting flowers for events, we can provide an excellent service. If you are looking for corporate flowers then look no further than us. If you would like more information about what we can provide, contact us today and a member of our team will be happy to help.