Denmark: Birch planting halted to aid allergy sufferers

Hay fever sufferers may want to give birch trees a wide berth

A Danish city is trying to spare hay fever sufferers their annual dose of springtime misery by halting the planting of any more birch trees in public places.

The council in Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city, says the move could reduce the amount of pollen in the air by between 10% and 30%, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation reports. "Not planting birches along roadsides and in parks should reduce the nuisance to some extent, and provide relief to city dwellers with pollen allergies," says Peter Sogaard, a biologist at the city council. Scientists say birch trees are a major culprit in provoking allergic reactions, as their pollen is particularly irritating.

The city has already planted a special hypoallergenic forest on its outskirts for hay fever sufferers to enjoy, and officials are trying to reduce the impact of other irritants by cutting the grass in public parks in early spring, before it begins to release pollen.

But it's not all good news for those blighted by allergies. The council can't do anything about trees on private land or, more significantly, the vast birch forests of Sweden and Poland. "When the wind blows from that direction, there are huge amounts of birch pollen right overhead," Mr Sogaard says, adding that the pollen is very light and can be carried hundreds of miles on the Baltic winds.

Despite the challenges of geography, even a modest reduction of the pollen levels is nothing to be sneezed at, he says: "It's a step in the right direction."

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