Creating the Allergy-Friendly Garden

The Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS) assigns plants a rating from 1 to 10, with 1 being best for allergies and 10 being worst. The following plants were rated 6 or above by Ogren (except where noted), and should be avoided.

Allergy Plants to Avoid

Botanical Name / Common Name

• Amaranthus caudatus – love lies bleeding, tassel flower
• Chrysanthemum – chrysanthemum, daisy (numerous varieties)
• Hydrangea paniculata & querciflora – pee-gee and oak leaf hydrangea
• Thalictrum – buttercup
• Aster – aster
• Daucus carota – Queen Anne’s lace, wild carrot
• Carex – sedge
• Hedera – ivy
• Artemesia – wormwood, tarragon
• Doronicum – leopard’s bane
• Alyssum – alyssum
• Leontopodium alpinium – edelweiss
• Ligustrum – privet hedge
• Tanacetum – tansy, painted daisy
• Cryptomeria japonica – Japanese cedar
• Celosia – cockscomb
• Echinacea purpurea* – purple coneflower
• Syringa – lilac
• Matthiola – stocks
• Lavendula – lavender

* Rated 5. Use sparingly.

See Also:

• Outdoor Allergies Resource Hub – a compilation of our best.
• Hay Fever Handbook – all you’ll need to cope.
• Trees that Make You Sneeze
• Ragweed’s Rule – investigating the worst of the allergenic weeds.
• Stinging Insect Allergies – when is it a serious reaction?
• The Sneeze-Free Garden (page 1) – Plants to look for

Originally published in Allergic Living magazine.
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