Environment and allergic disease                 

Allergenic Plants in Arizona  

Allergenic plants liberate large amounts of wind-borne pollen.  In Arizona they include many species that are native to the region and many introduced species.  Native allergenic plants include triangle leaf bursage (a species of  Ambrosia), desert ragweed (Ambrosia dumosa), desert broom (Baccharis), Wing Scale (Atriplex canescens), Mesquite (Prosopis) and PaloVerde (Cercidium).  A large number of introduced trees and shrubs such as Olive, White Mulberry, weeds such as Russian Thistle (Salsola) and Australian Saltbush, and introduced grasses including Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) produce allergenic pollen.  There is some evidence that horticulture accompanying increasing urbanization has caused increasing levels of certain types of atmospheric pollen in the past 40  years.  More recently, it is thought that climate change from global warming may be responsible for increasing the amounts of airborne ragweed pollen, a type prevalent in most of the continental United States.  (See Tables for details of individual plants that may cause allergy in Maricopa, Pinal and Pima Counties, Arizona).

References:

Benson L, Darrow RA: Trees and Shrubs of the Southwestern Deserts.  The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 3rd Edition, 1981.
Kearney TH, Peebles RH et al: Arizona Flora. The University of California Press, Berkeley, 2nd Edition, 1960.
Parker KF:  An Illustrated Guide to Arizona Weeds.  The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1972
Turner RM, Bowers JE, Burgess TL:  Sonoran Desert Plants.  The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1995.
Lewis WH, VinayP, Zenger VE:  Airborne and Allergenic Pollen of North America.   The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1983.

Updated 2/2012
                                                                                Return to menu

Disclaimer:   This site is for educational purposes only.  Any information that you have found in this web site is not intended to replace medical care or advice given to you by your own physicians. You should consider consulting your local medical library and other web sites for additional information. 

Comments and suggestions welcome!   Email: schumach@u.arizona.edu
Content Owner:  Michael J. Schumacher, MB, FRACP, The University of Arizona