Pollen
The
beautiful trees and plants around Albuquerque can cause problems
for people sensitive to the pollen they produce. Here you can learn
when different types of pollen are produced as well as what ordinances
are in place to restrict the planting of certain trees. Go here to see
Today's Pollen Count and sign up for email notification of pollen counts. Go here to see images of local pollen.
The City operates two pollen samplers and counts pollen every weekday. Go here to learn more.
There is no longer an approved plant list. The only plants prohibited or restricted are detailed in the Pollen Control Ordinance (36kb) 
and the Amendment to the Pollen Control Ordinance (26kb) , a simplified version of the ordiance and the amendment can be read here.
There is a Xeriscape Plant List on the "What is Xeriscape?" webpage 
for those who wish to plant drought tolerant plants.
Typical Pollen Season
Click here for an accessible description of the Pollen Production chart below
| Plant | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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| Juniper/Cedar |  |
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| Elm |  |
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| Ash |  |
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| Cottonwood |  |
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| Mulberry |  |
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| Chenopodiaceae |  |
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| Sage |  |
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| Grass |  |
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| Ragweed |  |
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The shaded region indicates Albuquerque's Pollen
Season (March 1st through October 1st)
Pollen color is artificial
What are the Worst Trees for Pollen?
This is a difficult question to answer since it relies on what pollen an individual may be allergic to and the quantity required for someone to have an allergic reaction. One person may be allergic to a small amount of Mulberry pollen, while another may be allergic to a large amount of Ash pollen.
For the City of Albuquerque, the primary tree pollen producers are
listed below.
| Rank | Tree | Highest Daily Pollen Count Range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mulberry | 395-10205 |
| 2 | Juniper | 726-2480 |
| 3 | Elm | 69-1065 |
| 4 | Ash | 76-959 |
| 5 | Cottonwood | 52-730 |
Pollen counts cover 14 years of data.
While these are the primary airborne tree pollen
producers you should also be careful around non-airborne pollen
producing trees. Common trees such as Russian Olive and Salt Cedar
can both release pollen into the air if disturbed, and may cause
an allergic reaction.
Pollen Resources
- Today's Pollen Count
- Pollen Data Report - provides data from March 2004 to now
- Pollen Data (MSExcel) (296kb) - contains data from March 2001 through October 2003
- Restricted Trees
- Pollen Control Ordinance (36kb)
- Amendment
to the Pollen Control Ordinance (26kb)
- To hear today's pollen count, call (505) 768-4734 or (505) 766-7664.
- If you have questions concerning the pollen count, call (505) 768-1972 or email aqd@cabq.gov
- For questions concerning the tree ordinance or general tree questions call the City Forester at 768-5370 or Email Nick Kuhn
- Visit the Urban Forestry page to learn more about trees