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 all fall in the 1- 2 range, except where noted.

Trees including maple, birch, alder, ash, elm, chestnut, oak and poplar are often pegged as allergy foes. But it’s the male plants that distribute the pollen; female versions of almost all of these trees are safe.

Allergy-Friendly Plants to Look For

BOTANICAL NAME /COMMON NAME

• Lathyrus odoratus – Sweet pea
• Thunbergia alata – Black-eyed Susan vine
• Catharanthus roseus – Periwinkle
• Coleus blumei – Coleus
• Digitalis – Foxglove
• Impatiens – Impatiens
• Myosotis – Forget-me-nots
• Nierembergia – Cup flower
• Petunia – Petunia
• Viola – Johnny jump up, pansy, violet
• Brodiaea – Dlephant’s ears
• Crocus – Spring-flowering crocus
• Cyclamen – Cyclamen
• Galanthus – Snowdrops
• Gladiolus – Gladiolus
• Hyacinth – Hyacinth (numerous varieties)
• Gentiana – Gentian
• Geranium – True geranium, cranesbill
• Hemerocallis – Day lily
• Hosta – Hosta, plantain lily
• Peony – Peony
• Physalis – Chinese lantern
• Polemonium – Jacob’s ladder
• Rhodedendron* – Azalea, rhododendron
• Sempervivum – Hens and chicks
• Fucshia – Fucshia
• Hydrangea grandiflora – Big leaf hydrangea
• Dianthus – Carnation, pinks
• Papaver – Poppy
• Begonia* – Fibrous or tuberous begonia
• Rosa – Rose (numerous varieties)
• Phlox* – Phlox

*Rated 3 or 4. Use sparingly.

** See Allergy-Free Gardening by Thomas Leo Ogren, a great book on this topic.

Next Page: Allergy Plants to Avoid