Do Ficus Trees Cause Allergies

Do Ficus Trees Drop Their Leaves

Ficus trees dont drop their leaves because of changing seasons, but they are known to drop their leaves due to any kind of environmental stress. Your ficus tree may drop its leaves after a move or transplanting, or simply because its needs arent being met. Some reasons for a ficus to lose its leaves include encountering a draft, getting too much or too little water, being infested by pests, experiencing cold drafts from doors or windows, or lacking sufficient sunlight or humidity. An excess of bright, direct sunlight can also cause ficus trees to either lose their leaves or have their foliage burned with sunscald.

Can Indoor Plants Help With Allergies

If someone in your household has allergies, you know how important it is to avoid bringing allergens into your home. Fortunately, you do not have to let your caution keep you from adding some plant life to your home decor. Not all houseplants will trigger allergy symptoms in those with allergic rhinitis. In fact, some plants may even be able to improve the air quality of your home. In the next section, we will discuss the allergens that plants may bring into your home, but first, let us take a look at the potential for houseplants to remove pollutants from the air that you breathe.

In 1989, NASA released a Clean Air Study that suggested that certain low-light plants may be effective in removing volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, xylenes and formaldehyde from the air in energy-efficient buildings . Because of this relationship, some people use the NASA study to claim that plants, such as florists chrysanthemum, can improve allergy symptoms by purifying the air in a home.

However, the Wolverton study was performed in a lab with no air ventilation, which is not indicative of the current state of buildings . Here on earth, even newer, energy-efficient buildings have some exchange of indoor and outdoor air. Unfortunately, according to the EPA, houseplants are not an effective way to remove airborne pollutants inside of a building with normal ventilation and air exchange.

Do Ficus Trees Cause Allergies

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Allergy: Contact dermatitis from chrysanthemum often starts on the fingertips but usually spreads to the forearms and face. It can sometimes be very persistent and has been associated with the development of chronic actinic dermatitis .

One may also ask, are indoor plants bad for allergies? The worst indoor plants for allergy sufferersChrysanthemums, weeping figs, orchids and marigold have been known to cause skin reactions. In extreme cases, these reactions can lead to swelling around the eyes and mouth or even anaphylactic shock.

Correspondingly, can plants give you allergies?

A plant allergy, also called allergic rhinitis or hay fever, is an allergic reaction caused by plants and their pollen. Each individual may have different triggers causing allergic reactions, some may respond more to trees, while others react to grasses or ragweed.

What plants are bad for allergies?

Worst Plants for Allergies

• Flowers/herbs. Amaranth , chamomile, chrysanthemums, daisies, ordinary sunflowers.
• Shrubs/vines. Cypress, jasmine vine, juniper, wisteria.
• Trees.

Common Plants and Trees That Trigger Allergies

• Scroll down to read all. 1 / 15. Birch.
• 2 / 15. Elm. This tree grows in all but the coldest northern parts of the continental U.S. and makes pollen in the fall.
• 3 / 15. Cedar.

Some of the worst tree allergens include:

• alder.

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Indoor Plants Bad For Asthma

Now, we found out that plants can be helpful and beneficial for people with asthma, but there are plants you want to avoid.

A good thing to look for is avoiding houseplants that allow triggers for asthma attacks like dust, pollen and mold.

The 3 rules to stick too for indoor plants that can be bad for asthma are:

Avoid plants that attract dust or fungal spores. We already know about fungus being bad, but dust particles can also be a big problem. There are certain houseplants that can capture particles on their leaves which you will have to clean not so good if you have asthma.

Avoid plants that are hard to care for or are easily overwatered. By far the biggest danger is mold or fungal spores. Try to avoid houseplants that are hard to care for and prone to develop problems in your climate. Also, avoid plants that require external chemicals for you to be able to grow them.

Avoid high pollen plants. Same as above, high pollen plants can trigger allergies that impact asthma.

So, what are the worst indoor plants for people with asthma?

Indoor Trees That Trigger Allergies

CATEGORIES: Interior / Plants / Residential

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With spring underway allergies are on many peoples mind. According to WebMD one in every five people in the United States suffers from allergies. Clients and potential clients may have concerns when it comes to allergies and interior landscaping. Knowing what trees to avoid and how to maintain plants to reduce any indoor allergens will help your clients feel confident about their indoor plants.

When it comes to indoor allergies there is good news and bad news for interior landscapers. The good news is that most plant allergens are caused by particles of pollen catching the wind and are consequently inhaled. Plants that produce this type of pollen are typically trees and grasses.

Most indoor plants bear flowers and are pollenated by bees and other insects or are very leafy with insignificant flowers. This means the pollen does not float through the air and trigger allergies.

There are however, a few plants you should avoid if your clients are concerned about indoor allergies.

The flowering maple can trigger allergies when used indoors.

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Pollinating Trees You Can Live With

Obviously, the fewer allergenic trees in an individual’s immediate vicinity, the less the chance of exposure. Good news is that the great majority of wind-borne pollen grains of all species are deposited quite close to their source. The closer to the tree the pollen stays, the less potential they have to cause allergy.

Remember, a pollen-producing tree or shrub next to a home can create ten times more exposure than a tree or shrub one or more houses away. Get those high-risk trees away from your home.

One rule of thumb: flowers with large blooms usually produce heavy pollen. These trees attract insects that transport pollen and do not depend on wind transportation. These trees are generally lower in their allergy potential. Also, “perfect” flowers on trees are desired. A perfect flower is one that has both male and female parts in a single flower not just male and female parts on the same tree. Perfectly flowered trees include crabapple, cherry, dogwood, magnolia, and redbud.

Trees that are considered to cause fewer allergy problems are:Female ash, female red maple , yellow poplar, dogwood, magnolia, double-flowered cherry, fir, spruce, and flowering plum.

How Do You Prune A Ficus Tree

Wear gloves when pruning a ficus tree, and if youre working indoors, spread newspapers or a tarp under the tree to catch any sap that drips onto the floor. Use sharp, clean shears sterilized in a teaspoon of bleach and two cups of water. First, cut to remove any dead or damaged wood. Make your cuts at a slight downward angle before the node where a leaf or twig joins the branch. If you want a branch to grow back, leave at least one node, but if you want to eliminate that branch, do not leave any nodes. Remove no more than one third of the trees foliage at a time.

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Are Ficus And Fig Trees The Same

Though there is a great deal of overlap, the commonly grown ficus and edible fig trees are not exactly the same. Ficus is the common name for a type of tree called the weeping fig, and fig is the common name for trees in the ficus genus. Ficus trees are usually tropical evergreens, with a few deciduous species. The ficus trees you see most commonly are ficus benjamina, also called the weeping fig. The tree that bears the fruit we commonly call the edible fig is the Ficus carica. Ficus trees arent grown for their fruit. They are grown as ornamentals. If you grow a ficus tree at home, its unlikely your tree will bear figs unless your area is also home to the right species of fig wasp to pollinate your tree. The fiddle-leaf fig tree is also a ficus, Ficus lyrata.

Pollen Producers You Can Live With And Those You Can’t

• B.S., Forest Resource Management, University of Georgia

Plants that produce wind-blown pollen, many of which are trees, make life miserable for millions of human allergy sufferers each year. A large number of tree species produce extremely small pollen particles from their male sexual parts. These trees use the wind as their favorite means of pollen transport to others of their own species for pollination.

This pollination leads to the procreation of new trees. That’s a good thing.

Pollination is critical for trees to reproduce but can be crippling to some people with specific tree allergies and asthma. If these allergy sufferers live in areas with lots of the wrong trees, there can be major health issues and loss in quality of life during peak pollen season.

Allergy sufferers can make it through tree pollen season with a minimum of discomfort by following some common sense suggestions. Minimize outdoor activity between 5 and 10 a.m., as morning is the time when pollen counts are usually the highest. Keep the house and car windows closed and use air conditioning to stay cool. But you don’t have to stay inside all the time either.

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Planting A Ficus Tree

To grow ficus trees outdoors, plant them in well-draining, loamy soil of average fertility. Plant them in a location that gets full sun or partial shade. Fertilize ficus trees in the spring with ½ cup 10-10-10 fertilizer per tree. Although ficus trees are somewhat drought tolerant, they do best with moderate soil moisture. Water them when the soil dries out 2 inches beneath the surface and allow the soil to dry again before watering. Overwatering is one of the most common reasons ficus trees to decline.

Prune ficus trees during the winter to remove dead, diseased branches or branches that rub against each other. You can also prune to control size. The stems and leaves contain a milky sap.

Can Tree Branches Cause Skin Rashes

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When gardeners find themselves with itchy rashes, tree branches are sometimes to blame. Contact with the bark, sap, leaves or thorns of some species can result in skin reactions. With some species, rashes occur on only a relatively few susceptible individuals. Other species cause skin problems for almost everyone who touches them. When working with tree branches, always wear long pants, long-sleeved shirt and gloves. Avoid touching your face and especially your eyes while working.

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Best Plants For Respiratory Allergies

These plants are less likely to trigger allergy symptoms:

• Delphinium. A stately perennial, delphinium is often grown for its showy, spurred flowers, according to the National Gardening Association. Its peak pollen time is when it blooms in early summer. Also known as larkspur, delphinium grows well where summers are relatively cool and moist, such as the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast.
• Daffodil. Daffodils, which tolerate the cold well, grow throughout the United States. They bloom in early spring and can last from six weeks to six months, depending on where you live, according to the American Daffodil Society.
• Purple leaf plum tree. This trees peak pollen season is early spring, when it blooms. It can be found in yards and gardens across the country.
• Evergreen trees and shrubs. There are numerous varieties of evergreen trees and shrubs, called evergreen because their leaves or needles remain intact year-round. Conifers, most of which are evergreens, shed pollen but only for a short time in the spring.

Worst Plants for Respiratory Allergies

Certain trees can aggravate respiratory allergies. Those to avoid include:

Shrubs, like trees, can be male or female, and people with respiratory allergies should steer clear of male shrubs, which produce more pollen, according to the Asthma Society of Ireland. In general, shrubs to avoid include:

When it comes to grasses, there’s one prime offender:

Why Is My Ficus Dropping Leaves

Ficus trees are one of the most common plants found adorning home interiors around the world, but this finicky species can cause many owners to wring their hands in frustration. While it is an easy to care for, attractive plant, its known to drop its leaves for seemingly no reason at all. The good news is that once you know the reasons for your ficus dropping leaves, there is a lot you can do to prevent and treat it.

Why is my ficus dropping leaves? There are many reasons but they all occur as the ficus adjusts to maintain performance when conditions vary, through a process of acclimatization. These conditions include underwatering, overwatering, too little light, change in season, fertilization, pests, and fungal problems.

Read through the following common causes of leaf drop to get a better understanding of why your ficus may be dropping leaves, and how to minimize future occurrences. See also my complete guide to ficus tree care.

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Houseplant Aversion Is Real For Allergy Sufferers

HAMBURG: When people come down with a runny nose and itchy eyes in their homes, they often think the cause is an allergy.

The usual suspects are dust mites and any pets in the home. They should, however, also consider their houseplants, although it is difficult to definitively prove they are the cause.

Initially, tests must be conducted to rule out dust mites. The search for the cause then moves on, using important tips taken from the understanding of known allergies. Apart from that, patients and their dermatologist or family doctor should discuss whether anything in the home has changed. That includes any newly acquired houseplants.

“Basically, any houseplant can set off an allergy,” says Stefan Gentzen, director of the German garden retailers’ association in Berlin. “At the time of the sale customers generally don’t know that they will have an allergic reaction to the plant.”

There are, however, plants that are known to cause allergic reactions. If one of these plants is in the home, it should be included in the test.

The best known example is the ficus, , also known as Weeping Fig or Benjamin’s Fig, but that doesn’t mean that when it comes to allergies the plant is more dangerous that other house plants.

“The ficus is found in almost every office building and in many private homes. That’s why it is known for touching off allergies,” Gentzen says. The plant’s allergens come from the milky sap on the surface of the leaves.

The incidence, however, can be limited.

Are Indoor Plants Bad For Asthma

I think most of you know someone that has asthma. If you dont, you officially know me so there you go.

In my case, it used to be a problem when I was a child, but I havent had an asthma attack since I was about 8 or 9 years old.

I usually forget that I have it until I accidentally bump on inhalers I have stashed around the house.

One thing that has people worried about houseplants is that they can be bad for asthma or allergies.

This is a really prevalent opinion. As a matter of fact, last summer a really close family friend almost cancelled his vacation to avoid my houseplants. His asthma is aggressive and has become a bit inhaler dependent in the last years.

Eventually he stayed at our place and he was completely fine, without having any attacks during the stay. Actually, quite the opposite happened.

In his own words, he felt like the plants helped.

So, what is the truth? Are indoor plants bad for asthma?

Unfortunately, certain species of indoor plants can be bad for asthma. Although plants help clean the air and raise oxygen levels that help alleviate respiratory problems, they can also spread pollen or develop fungus that worsen asthma symptoms.

This doesnt mean that having indoor plants if you have asthma is something you should entirely dismiss.

Indoor plants dont usually cause much trouble as the outdoors variety when it comes to asthma. In fact, if you choose the right plant species and take care of it, it can actually help.

With plants its similar.

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Best Plants For Air Quality

Though common houseplants cannot compete with the pollutant-removing capabilities of actual air purifiers, you may still benefit from adding them to your home. In addition to the decorative and psychological value of indoor plant life, the following plants have been found to remove harmful VOCs from the air, which may be helpful, even in small amounts . These houseplants were also found to be easy to grow and maintain, as well as resistant to insect infestation .

• Areca palm
• Boston fern
• Peace lily

Note: Dracaena plants, English ivy and peace lilies are toxic to dogs and cats, according to the ASPCA. Exposure to these plants can cause severe adverse reactions in pets that include vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, oral irritation, abdominal pain, anorexia and depression.

Are Ficus Trees Poisonous To Cats And Dogs

Yes, Ficus benjamina trees are poisonous to dogs and cats if theyre consumed or if they come into contact with skin. Symptoms of poisoning include gastrointestinal or skin irritation. If your pet has consumed any part of the ficus tree, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCAs Animal Poison Control Hotline at 888-426-4435. Ficus trees can also cause serious allergic reactions in humans and should be kept out of the reach of children.

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