Pollenservice Wien

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Mugwort is flowering in Vienna (Video ©Katharina Bastl (MedUni Vienna/Pollenservice Vienna)). This year, flowering is somewhat delayed due to the drought in early summer.

Here you can see a flowering common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) in the city center with already opened flowers. 

The Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) and the giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) are considered invasive neophytes in Europe and were originally introduced from North America as ornamental plants and bee pastures. They spread rapidly in dry grasslands and fallow areas, displacing native light-loving plants. The goldenrod is insect-pollinated, so allergic reactions from pollen only occur locally. However, in close proximity and especially indoor, allergic symptoms can still occur due to cross-reactivity with mugwort and ragweed pollen. Additionally, contact with the plant sap can cause allergic skin irritations.

Photo: Flowering fountaingrass (left) and flowering mugwort (right)

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.

Weed season starts - fungal spore season is at its peak!

Mugwort is flowering in Vienna and heralds the start of the weed pollen season. So far the pollen release is still low. Goldenrod is also flowering in the city. Like mugwort and ragweed, it belongs to the composite family and can cause cross-reactions in close proximity to plants.

The main flowering period of the grasses is over and the meadows in the urban area have largely finished flowering. At the moment, ornamental grasses are the main source of pollen. In semi-shady and shady places, you may still find some flowering grasses, which should be borne in mind, especially when walking in woodland. In the area around Vienna, corn is also still in flower and can cause symptoms in the immediate vicinity of corn fields.

In the meadows, dock and plantain are also flowering. Both can trigger cross-reactions in individuals allergic to grass pollen.

Nettle plants such as stinging nettle and pelitory are now in their main flowering period.

Concentrations of fungal spores (Cladosporium and Alternaria) in the Vienna area can rise quite quickly to high levels. Particularly high concentrations are possible at temperatures above 25°C and after precipitation.

The coming days will remain unsettled due to the weather and will bring isolated rain showers. Concentrations of fungal spores will therefore remain high, especially during sunny periods. Only low levels are expected for grasses. Given the current weather conditions, mugwort pollen concentrations will also remain low.

Pollination profile

Mugwort:
State of the flower: start of flowering period/hardly any pollination
trend: constant
time of the start of the flowering season: average

Grasses:
State of the flower: end of main flowering period/hardly any pollination
trend: constant
time of the start of the flower: earlier than average

Fungal spores:
State of the season: main season/high spore concentrations
trend: constant
time of the start of the season: average

Nettle plants:
State of the flower: main flowering period/pollination
trend: constant
time of the start of the flower: average

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

Tip of the season: It is advisable to wear sunglasses and headgear when going for a walk outside. These mechanical barriers ensure that your eyes and hair come into less contact with pollen, thus minimizing direct physical contact with the allergen.

Pollen spectrum:
Pollen from scorpionweed, the goosefoot family, the cypress family, and mercury is also detected at our monitoring station.

Current main allergen: Fungal spores

Exposure time in Vienna: May to October

Occurrence in Vienna: The molds in focus here thrive on vegetation. This ranges from potting soil to grain fields. Note: The concentration of fungal spores outdoor has nothing to do with the occurrence of molds indoors.

Who are “the fungal spores“?
The spores of the molds Alternaria and Cladosporium are of allergological importance, especially the former. The here discussed fungal spores are the most important ones for ambient air. There is a high diversity of molds, that are present indoors and can spread on food. Molds may cause allergies, but also toxic reactions escalating to mycosis (invasion of the inner organs).
Alternaria belongs to the blackness-fungi. It grows primarily on vegetation and causes plant diseases that can result in crop failures (fruit, cereals). Persons concerned should not mow the lawn, since it is often located on dry plants. However, Alternaria is also found in the living area.
Cladosporium belongs as well to the blackness-fungi. It prefers forests, gardens, and swamps. It is the most common fungal spore in ambient air.

Cross-reactivity: In general, there is cross-reactivity to spores of other molds (e.g. Aspergillus, Epicoccum).

Current main allergen: Mugwort

Pollination time in Vienna: July to September (some times October)

Occurrence in Vienna: Mugwort has no high habitat requirements and grows in ruderal areas as well as on poor soils or gravel grounds, roadsides, constructions sites and railway embarkments.

Who is “the mugwort“?
There are a couple of species of mugwort (among others e.g. wormwood and tarragon), but mainly one species is responsible for pollination in Vienna.
Common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris): Mugwort was used as medicinal herb and culinary herb in former times. It can grow into up to two meters high shrub and grows also in mid-altitude areas up to 1600m above sea level.
For some time now, neophyte species of mugwort from East Asia have been increasingly establishing themselves in Central Europe, which can cause a second pollination period at the end of September/beginning of October. This is primarily due to annual mugwort (Artemisia annua) and Kamchatka mugwort (Artemisia verlotiorum). Both species are considered neophytes in Austria and benefit from climate change.

Cross-reactivity to pollen of other plants: to other genera within the same family of composite plants (Asteraceae), among others ragweed

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Many grasses in sunny locations in and around Vienna have already faded (Video ©Maximilian Bastl (MedUni Vienna/Pollenservice Vienna)). This year, the diversity of grass species is higher in the area around Vienna.

Here you can see flowering crested dogtail grass (Cynosurus cristatus) in the foreground and extensive meadows in the background, which have already exhausted most of their flowering potential.