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Predominant Pollen and Spores

Vancouver, British Columbia

Tree pollen and spore seasons fluctuate from year to year by as much as two to four weeks at this site due to the effect of weather. The pollen and spore seasons described here are generalizations as to when pollination/sporulation occurs.

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Predominant Pollen for Vancouver, British Columbia

Tree pollen seasons fluctuate from year to year by as much as two to four weeks at this site due to the effect of weather. The pollen seasons described here are generalizations as to when pollination occurs.

Alder (Alnus sp.)
Alder season can start mid-March to early April and end early to late June. Moderate and high counts can occur. Alders are considered important allergens.
Beech - Sylvatica and grandifolia (Fagus sp.)
Sylvatica and grandifolia are two species present at this location. The beech some years produce moderate counts but the season varies a great deal from year to year due to the effect of weather. This is partly due to cyclical patterns and weather. The season can last from mid-April to mid-May. May cause allergic reactions in individuals who are highly sensitized.
Birch (Betula sp.)
Birch season can start from mid-April to early May and end early to late June. Very high counts are observed and they are considered important allergens.
Cedars, Junipers and Yew (Cupressaceae family)
Cedars, junipers and yews season starts from early to late March and ends late May to early June. Very high counts can be observed but most species in Canada are not considered allergenic.
Dock weed & Sheep sorrel weed (Rumex sp.)
The dock and sorrel season can start from early to mid-May and ends early August. The pollen is considered mildly allergenic.
Elm (Ulmus sp.)

Elm are considered important allergens. There is short early season that lasts about one week and it can occur late March to mid-April. The main season lasts approximately two weeks, with some very high counts, and can occur from mid to late April and end early to late May. The season fluctuates a great deal from year to year due to the effect of weather.

Grasses (Gramineae family)
Grasses produce moderate counts, from June to the end of July, a few high counts can be observed for certain years. The season can start mid-May and end early October.
Hazel (Corylus sp.)
Hazelnuts produce some moderate counts during the months of January and February. May cause allergic reactions in individuals who are highly sensitized.
Hemlock (Tsuga sp.)
Hemlocks produce low to moderate counts at this location and the season can occur between mid-March to late June. The season is very sporadic from year to year and lasts almost two months. May cause allergic reactions in individuals who are highly sensitized when shed in high numbers.
Larch and tamaracks (Larix sp.)

Larch and tamaracks produce low to moderate counts. There are two seasons that can occur between late March to late May. This is probably due to the number of species present. The season lengths and amount of pollen produced can fluctuate a great deal from year to year.

Maple (Acer sp.)
Maple trees can have a short early season from mid March to early April. The main season can start from early to mid-April and end mid to late May. Some very high counts are observed and some species are known to cause allergic reactions.
Nettles (Urticaceae sp.)
Nettles and parietaria produce a few moderate counts from mid-May to late June. The season is sporadic. They are considered important in causing allergic reactions due to the small size of the pollen
Oak (Quercus sp.)
Oak season can occur from mid-April and end late May with a few moderate and very occasional high counts observed. The pollen season can vary by as much as two weeks. Allergic reactions can occur when large quantities of pollen are released.
Pine, fir and spruce (Pinaceae family)
Some high, but mostly low and moderate counts are observed throughout the season for pine, fir and spruce from mid-April to mid-July. The season varies from year to year but not as much as in some of the other sites outside of British Columbia. Considered very important allergens to those individuals who are sensitized.
Plantains (Plantago sp.)
Plantain produce low counts from June to mid-September. May be of importance to those highly sensitized.
Poplar, cottonwood and aspen (Populus sp.)
Poplar and aspen produce very high counts which can cause allergic reactions. The season can start from the third week of March to the third week of April and end early to mid-May. The season can start early in warm years like 2010, 2012 and 2016.
Ragweed (Ambrosia sp.)
Ragweed is rarely observed in our air samples at this site. This weed is not abundant and only occurs in small patches.

Predominant Spores for Vancouver, British Columbia

Spore seasons fluctuate from year to year by as much as two to four weeks at this site due to the effect of weather. Spores described here are generalizations as to when sporulation occurs.

Alternaria sp.
Alternaria counts are in the low to moderate range. Some species are known to cause allergic reactions. The season with the highest counts is from August to the end of September.
Aspergillus sp.
Aspergillus spores are found throughout the whole counting season and are probably present in significant numbers beyond that. The counts can be high from January to late fall.
Boletus sp.
Boletus spore are very sporadic with moderate counts observed. It may be of significance in causing allergic reactions. The season with moderate and high counts is from mid-June to mid-October.
Botrytis sp.
Botrytis may be a significant allergen. The season is from January to late fall and the counts are very sporadic. Some very high counts are observed throughout the season but the highest occur in the late summer and fall.
Cladosporium sp.
Cladosporium is the most abundant spore found throughout the whole season. This spore exists all year round and very high counts are known to occur starting January to well into late fall.
Coprinus sp.
Coprinus mushroom, where significant counts are observed, is from April to mid-October. It is considered an important allergen.
Diatrypaceae sp.
Diatrypaceae counts are sporadic throughout the whole counting season. Very high counts can be observed from the end of January to mid-October. Not known to cause allergic reactions
Epicoccum sp.
Some epicoccum species are known to cause allergic reactions. The main season, with low to moderate counts, is from May to mid-October. May not be a significant allergen.
Erysiphe (Oospora) sp.
Erysiphe, commonly referred to as Powdery mildew has a season that runs from late January to well into October. There are very high counts in August and September and the season is very sporadic.
Ganoderma sp.
Ganoderma commonly referred to as bracket fungus can produce significant counts from January to well into late fall. Very high counts are observed from April to late fall. It is considered an important allergen.
Helicomyces sp.
Helicomyces season is from February to mid-October producing very high counts from June to August. The season is very sporadic.
Leptosphaeria sp.
Leptosphaeria season starts mid-February to mid-October. The counts vary from day to day, which is probably due to the effect of weather. Mostly moderate, with occasional high, counts are observed.
Myxomycetes

The season is very sporadic with low to moderate counts from June to the end of September.

Penicillium sp.
Penicillium spores are found throughout the whole counting season and are probably present in significant numbers beyond that. The counts can be high from January to late fall.
Pithomyces sp.

The season for Pithomyces fungus is from June to the end of September producing low to moderate counts with some in the high range.

Polythrincium sp.

The season if from June to the end of August with low to moderate counts. Allergenic properties are unknown.

Uredinales sp.
Uredinales aka Rusts produce low to moderate counts from May to mid-October. Not enough is known about their significance in causing allergic reactions at these levels.
Ustilaginales sp.
Ustilaginales  commonly referred to as Smuts are unknown. However, they belong to the Basidiomycota, which are associated to allergies and asthma. The season is from mid-April to mid-October with some high counts throughout the season.

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