Pollenservice Wien

Currently there is a poplar cotton wool on the move, which can be found as white flakes in the air or on the ground. Poplar cotton wool is the seed hairs and seed threads of the poplar tree and is completely harmless. These flakes are not pollen and do not contain allergenic proteins, hence they are hypoallergenic. Poplar seed hairs and seed threads can even filter pollen from allergenic plants from the air. Poplar pollen is usually found in the air from February to early April and is no longer responsible for allergic reactions at this time of year. However, the poplar seed hairs and seed threads usually occur together with the birch or the grass pollen season and the symptoms are therefore often incorrectly attributed to the white flakes.

Figure: flowering start of Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis), the purple anthers release pollen into the air as the yellow dust evidences.

Mid- and long-term forecast for Vienna

This forecast gives you an overview for a longer time period so that you can improve your planning.

The grass pollen season has started!

The flower of early grasses, that announce the start of the grass pollen season, sweet vernal grass and foxtail grass has started about a week ago. They are found only at natural meadows and are thus not widely distributed over the city. Kentucky Bluegrass has started flowering (see figure). This announces the start of the grass pollen season. In addition more grass species start to flower: false barley, soft brome grass and orchard grass.
Dock flowers as well on meadows.
Plantain has started flowering. It can be found in grass verges and on meadows.

Note for all with ash pollen allergy: Manna ash is flowering in Vienna (the flower of all other ash species has ended).

Fir, spruce and pine can release large quantities of pollen, which appears as a yellowish precipitate, known as sulphur rain, on outdoor surfaces. From an allergological point of view, however, this sulphur rain is harmless. 

Pollination from birch, oak, plane tree, beech and walnut is measurable, but decreasing.

Poplar wool is in the air, as can be observed locally. This is not pollen, but seed (you find more information in „due to current cause“).

Pollination profile
Grasses: 
state of the flower: begin of the main pollination period/pollination
trend: increasing
time of the start of the flower: average

Ash: 
state of the flower: end of the main pollination period/pollination
trend: constant
time of the start of the flower: average

Birch:
state of the flower: end of main pollination period/pollination
trend: decreasing
time of the start of the flower: average

You can find the typical pollen seasons in our pollen calendar. 

Pollen spectrum:
Pollen from spruce, pine, horse chestnut, willow, poplar, the rush family, sedges, the rose family, the mulberry family, cypress and yew is also in the air.

Current main allergen: Grasses

Grass pollen allergy is the most prevalent pollen allergy in Vienna!
Pollination time in Vienna: April to September; decorative grasses extend the pollination time into autumn!

Occurrence in Vienna: The sweet grass family (Poaceae) is prevalent and found nearly everywhere. Natural monuments, parks, the banks of the Danube and obviously all areas (meadows/lawns), that are mowed infrequently, are hot spots.

Who are “the grasses“?
There are many genera and species of relevance for persons concerned, especially because reactions to different taxa of the family are individual. Those grasses, that are of highest relevance for a grass pollen allergy, are mentioned in the following.
Bluegrass (Poa pratensis): flowers from April to June. It is sowed frequently for lawns and pastures.
Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata): flowers from May to June. It occurs frequently (especially on meadows, roadsides, ruderal areas).
Falseoat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius): flowers from May to July. Falseoat-grass prefers pastures and clearings.
Fescue grass (Festuca sp.): flowers from May to July. This genus is species-rich and prefers marshes like fine lawns, but also alluvial forests and roadsides.
Perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne): flowers from June to July. Perennial rye grass grows frequently on meadows and pastures and is used as pasture grass.
Timothy grass (Phleum pratense): flowers from June to September. Timothy grass is an allergologically famous gras but plays a minor role in Vienna due to its infrequent distribution. It prefers natural areas.
Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon): flowers from July to August. Bermuda grass is a neophyte in Europa and a light and heat indicator.
Cereals (cultivated rye, wheat and maize): Cereals belong as well to the sweet grass family. Grain fields in vicinity of Vienna may cause locally increased pollination, although cereal pollen is in general larger and thus not transported as far. Cultivated rye flowers usually from May to June, wheat from June to July and maize from July to August.

Cross-reactivity to pollen of other plants: Grass pollen is highly cross-reactive among pollen of other grasses

• The Pollenservice Vienna is part of the University Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Medical University of Vienna.
• The collaboration with GeoSphere Austria involves comparing forecasts and exchanging pollen and weather data. 
• The Pollenservice Vienna is official partner of the Gesundheitsdienst (MA15) of the City of Vienna.