For some of us, the arrival of fall is marked by crisp leaves, pumpkin spice lattes, and hay rides. For others, however, fall’s arrival is announced by allergies! If you are prone to fall allergies, the following plants and weeds are probably to blame.
Wet fall leaves
When you think of fall leaves, you probably think of the crunchy, colorful ones that fall from trees. It’s doubtful you think of the brown, soggy ones that got wet and are molding now, thanks to procrastinating bagging them after raking. While wet, dead leaves aren’t exactly a plant, wet leaves can easily get moldy, causing fall allergies.
Ragweed
If you’re prone to allergies in the fall, there’s a good chance that ragweed is at least one of the culprits. Ragweed can cause seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and even allergic contact dermatitis (hives). According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, “In the late summer, about 23 million Americans have symptoms from an allergy to ragweed pollen.” And since a single ragweed plant can produce up to 1 billion pollen grains, it’s no wonder this plant wreaks havoc on our bodies’ immune systems!
Other plants to blame
In addition to moldy fall leaves and ragweed, other plants that can cause allergic reactions include:
- Goldenrod
- Curly Dock
- Lamb’s Quarters
- Pigweed
- Sheep Sorrel
- Sagebrush
- Cedar elm
- Sagebrush
- Mugwort
- Russian thistle (aka tumbleweed)
- Cocklebur