Giving flowers as a gift is an easy and beautiful way to acknowledge someone you know and care about. The only thing that might hold you back is if the person has pollen allergies, also known as hay fever. The last thing you want is for the recipient to have the flowers delivered and immediately start sneezing. You may simply ask the person what their favourite flower is, but that can spoil the surprise.

The best choice for low allergy flowers is to choose the ones with low external pollen production. These can be found in flowers that don’t have a stamen and anther, these are referred to as male flowers because the pollen is released and when the pollen is lighter in weight, like the male flower pollen, the wind can carry it to cross-pollinate other flowers. This is when allergies are at their worst. Here are some flowers (and when they are seasonally available) that have low pollen or are not allergy inducing so you can make careful decisions.

1. Orchids (all year)
2. Tulips (winter & spring)
3. Daffodils (May - August)
4. Roses (all year)
5. Begonia (all year)
6. Irises (all year)
7. Hyacinths (March - October)
8. Baby’s Breath (all year)
9. Hydrangeas (summer)
10. Lilies (all year)
11. Gladiolas (all year)
12. Carnations (all year)

Sometimes the allergy doesn’t come from the pollen, but from the strong fragrance of the flowers, so be careful of the amount of fragrance the bouquet will put off. Lilies are one such flower that can induce sneezing for those sensitive to highly perfumed flowers. Contact us at Botanique Flowers & Gifts for more information on low allergy flower arrangements. Our florists here can help you decide on the right flowers for the occasion.