Recommended Plants for Homes of Allergic People in Maricopa and Pima Counties
The plants listed below have been selected for their low production of airborne pollen, as well as utility in landscaping and availability in plant nurseries. This is only a partial list of suitable plants. Many species closely related to those on the list are also available from local nurseries and could be used. The plants listed are low water use or drought tolerant, selected from the list published by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. Pictures of most of the plants can be found in "Plants for Dry Climates" by Mary Rose Duffield and Warren Jones, H.P. Books, Fisher Publishing, Tucson, September 2001. Photos of many of these plants can also be seen on the USDA Plants site, the Phoenix Tropical Gardens site and other sites.
Not shown on the list are high water use, low allergy plants such as deciduous fruit trees, most roses and many other brightly colored flowers, none of which produce large amounts of airborne pollen. Identification of female trees may be impossible unless purchased as large specimens during their flowering season.
BOTANICAL NAME (COMMON NAME) |
COMMENTS |
| Palms | |
Chamaerops humilis (Mediterranean Fan Palm) female |
Small palm |
Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm) female |
Large palm, feather fronds |
Phoenix dactylifera (Date Palm) female |
Very tall palm tree |
Massive palm |
|
Washingtonia robusta (Mexican Fan Palm) female |
Very tall, fast growing |
| Vines | |
| Bougainvillea spp | Striking color, freezes in winter |
Antigonon lepiopus (Queen's Wreath) |
Sprays of pink flowers |
Campsis radicans (Common Trumpet Creeper) |
Orange-red flowers |
Macfadyena unguis-cati (Cat's Claw Vine) |
Yellow flowers, likes sun |
Passiflora foetida (Passion Flower) |
Exotic flowers |
Rosa banksiae (Lady Banks Rose, Tombstone Rose) |
|
| Accent Plants | |
Agave americana (Century plant) |
Succulent |
Agave vilmoriniana (Octopus Agave) |
Succulent |
Agave weberi (Smooth-Edged Agave) |
Succulent |
Aloe barbadensis (Barbados Aloe) |
Succulent |
Aloe saponaria (Mediterranean Aloe) |
Succulent |
Dasylirion wheeleri (Sotol, Desert Spoon) |
Leaves 3-4' long, curved spines on leaf edges |
Fouquieria splendens (Ocotillo) |
Grows to 25', deciduous, red flowers |
Hesperaloe parviflora (Red Yucca, Red Flowered Hesparoloe) |
Long spikes of pink flowers in spring |
Oenothera berlandieri (speciosa childsii) (Mexican Evening Primrose) |
Purple flowers |
Yucca aloifolia (Spanish Bayonet Yucca) |
Sharp spikes at points of 2-3' long leaves |
Yucca elata (Soaptree Yucca) |
White flowers, grows to 20' |
Yucca recurvifolia (pendala) (Pendulous or Curveleaf Yucca) |
Soft-pointed leaves, white flowers |
Yucca gloriosa (Spanish dagger) |
Grows to 8' |
| Yucca rigida | Leaves 2' long, grows to 15', white flowers |
Yucca whipplei (Our Lord's Candle) |
Sharp spikey leaves, white flowers |
| Cacti | |
Carnegiea gigantea (Saguaro) |
|
Cereus peruvianus 'Monstrosus' (Peruvian Cereus) |
|
Echinocactus grusonii (Golden Barrel) |
Some species of barrel cacti grow to 4' tall |
Echinocereus spp. (Hedgehog, Rainbow Cactus) |
Purple or crimson flowers |
Echinocereus e.v. nicholii (Hedgehog Cactus) |
|
Echinocereus pectinatus v. rigidissimus |
|
Echinopsis spp. (Easter Lily, Sea Urchin Cactus) |
|
Ferocactus spp. (Barrel Cactus) |
|
Opuntia spp. (Prickly Pear, Cholla) |
|
Stenocereus (Lemaireocereus) thurberi (Organ Pipe Cactus) |
|
*rare cause of significant allergy |
Acknowledgements: List prepared in consultation with Mervi Hjelmroos-Koski PhD
Content Owner: Michael J. Schumacher, MB, FRACP
University of Arizona
Back Updated 9/2001