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Oak Pollen, one of the most common spring allergens.

oak tree oak pollen

Few trees -and allergens- have a wider geographical range than oaks and oak pollen. There are about 600 species of oaks that can be found all around the planet. In addition, many species of oak can live several hundred years. This helps makes their pollen one of the most prevalent allergens around.

Oak Allergy Season

The peak of pollen season tends to be mid march, and lasts through the end of April.

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Like Birch trees, oak trees pollinate through the use of catkins. Catkins are long, dense clusters of flowers without petals. Every year, catkins begin develop prior to the leaves, which allows for better pollination. Catkins can be spotted dangling at the tips of the branches, well exposed to the wind that shakes their pollen free and carries it for miles.

oak pollen catkins

In fact, the pollen is so small that it can be carried by the wind for hundreds of miles.

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Identifying Characterisitcs

Oak trees are very numerous species and are quite easy to identify. They are often very large trees, growing 50 to 70 feet in height. They have long winding limbs and broad short trunks.

oak pollen tree acorn

Oak trees can be easy to identify by a number of features such as their leaves and their limbs. However, the easiest way to identify an oak tree is by its "fruit". Oaks produce a "fruit" that almost everyone is familiar with: the acorn.

Some of the most easily identifiable ones are the "live oaks". Live oaks, also called evergreen oaks, maintain their foliage year round and "live" throughout the winter. This makes them easier to distinguish between other trees that lose their leaves during the fall and winter months.

Return to Tree Pollen from Oak Pollen