Meet the 9 Idaho Plants Making Allergy Season Absolutely Miserable

After a wetter than normal March and the first week of April rudely dumping 2.1 inches of snow on Boise, it’s finally starting to feel like spring. As much as we wish that only meant warmer temperatures and sunshine, it also means spring allergy season! 

We were quickly reminded of that while running the section of the Boise Greenbelt along Parkcenter Boulevard. We’re not sure if it’s the city or the subdivisions in that neighborhood that keeps up with the lawn maintenance along the path, but we’re grateful they keep it looking nice. That said, this author happens to be terribly allergic to fresh cut grass and getting stuck behind one of those lawn mowers driving down the Greenbelt was well…less than ideal. 

READ MORE: If You See Any of These 7 Bugs in Idaho, Kill Them Immediately 

If you look at pollen counts kept by Boise Valley Asthma & Allergy Clinic, it’s pretty obvious that we’re not suffering alone. Of the 14 days this April that they’ve posted counts for, nine of them were listed as “extreme” and two of them were listed as “high.” 

That explains your watery eyes and runny nose, but unless your allergies are debilitating enough to have them tested, there’s a chance that you have no idea what you’re allergic to. We don’t blame you for wanting to skip getting pricked by needles to solve the mystery, but we would like to point you in the right direction so you can avoid contact with the plants making you miserable! 

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Skimming through archived pollen counts, these are the plants that have the highest pollen counts in our area in the spring.