Birch Pollen
TreesOne of the most allergenic tree pollens in Europe. Silver birch is widespread across northern Europe and produces large amounts of wind-dispersed pollen in spring.
In a typical year, Birch Pollen season runs March to May, peaking around April.
No tracked city is currently reporting measurable Birch Pollen, which is typical when it is out of season.
Birch Pollen season by country
Typical windows from our country pollen calendars; the weather shifts them earlier or later each year.
| Country | Season | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Aug–Nov | Sep–Oct |
| Germany | Mar–May | Apr |
| Japan | Apr–Jun | May |
| United Kingdom | Mar–May | Apr |
About Birch Pollen
Silver birch is the most important tree pollen in northern and central Europe. It is planted in North America too, though most birch pollen there comes from native species such as paper birch. Its major allergen, Bet v 1, is the model for a whole family of related proteins. That is why birch allergy so often comes with reactions to alder, hazel and hornbeam across the late-winter-to-spring tree season, and to raw apple, hazelnut, stone fruit or carrot: the pollen-food syndrome that can make a fresh apple itch the mouth, often most noticeably in birch season.
In the northern hemisphere birch flowers in early to mid spring, typically from late March into May with the peak in April. The count depends heavily on the weather in the days before; a warm, dry spell after a mild March sends it up fast. In New Zealand and the cooler parts of Australia, where it has been widely planted, the season falls in the southern spring instead, roughly August to October. Birch trees also tend to alternate between heavier and lighter pollen years, so a quiet spring is often followed by a strong one.