PHOENIX — Editor's note: The above video aired during a previous broadcast.
The blooming season for Arizona's iconic palo verdes is in full effect!
The trees usually known for their photosynthesizing green bark and branches have added a blanket of yellow flowers to their pallet as spring arrived in the Valley.
But, the presence of the newly bloomed flowers is inspiring fear rather than beauty in some people with allergies in Phoenix.
The question:
Are the palo verde blooms really a large contributor to seasonal allergies in the Valley?
Our source:
The answer:
No, palo verde trees aren't a large contributor when it comes to what's making your nose run and your eyes itch.
What we found:
It's easy to blame palo verdes for allergies, especially since they are the plants that have some of the most visible pollen in Arizona.
The way they pollinate, however, and the type of pollen they produce can provide answers to how much they play a part in people's allergies.
The Desert Botanical Garden recently posted a TikTok explaining that the majority of seasonal allergies are caused by plants that rely on the wind to pick up and carry their pollen.
Palo verdes are not wind pollinators, but rather rely on insects like bees, beetles and flies to carry their pollen. The pollen from palo verdes usually don't end up floating in the air because of this.
Arizona Allergy and Asthma Specialists agree with the garden, posting on their website that the pollen from color flowers is usually sticky and heavy compared to the light and dry pollen produced by other plants.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: ¿Son los árboles 'palo verde' el principal contribuyente a las alergias en Phoenix?
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