HAWTHORN TREE POLLEN ALLERGY
Key Allergens
Hawthorn trees are in the Rosaceae family of plants, this family include a lot of fruit trees including apple, pear, peach and cherry.
These trees are insect pollinated, so are considered to have low allergenicity and less likely to cause allergic rhinitis.
The berries of the hawthorn can be eaten, but can cause mild gastrointestinal symptoms. They are often made into teas, jellies and jams which are less likely to cause irritation as they have been heated.
The pollen season for hawthorn trees is April to June, peaking in May.
Associated Syndromes
An allergy to hawthorn tree pollen is sometimes associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis (hayfever).
A hawthorn tree pollen allergy is also linked to asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis.
Cross Reactivity
There is currently no cross reactivity associated with hawthorn tree pollen.
The berries of the hawthorn are from the
Rosaceae family of plants, if you are allergic to other fruits in this group you may want to avoid eating hawthorn berries. These fruits include almond, apple, apricot, blackberry, cherry, peach, pear, plum, quinces, raspberry and strawberry.
Resources
Websites
Worcester Pollen Forecast
Allergy UK - Managing your asthma and your allergic rhinitis throughout the seasons
Pollen Library - Crataegus
Woodland Trust - Hawthorn
Science Direct - Crataegus
Articles and Journals
Hawthorne root (Crataegus mexicana) toxicity, 2024
Rosaceae food allergy: a review, 2022
A Snapshot on Food Allergies: A Case Study on Edible Flowers, 2020
Climate change and pollen allergy: cities and municipalities should take people suffering from pollen allergy into account when planting in public spaces, 2012
Hawthorn (Crataegus) Resources in China, 1995
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