Important Florida botanical aeroallergens

Florida is home to approximately 4 million allergy sufferers and almost 15,000 individual species of plants. Only a few of these plants produce pollen with documented allergenicity via in vivo/in vitro testing and provocation challenges. Many plant species with proven allergenicity are present only to a limited degree. Furthermore, allergenic plants in Florida do not follow the same pollinating patterns as the rest of the country, i.e., trees in the spring, grasses in the summer, and weeds in the fall. Media outlets that report pollen counts to the general public may mislead patients without appropriate interpretation. This review highlights clinical studies that document the allergenicity of some pollens and summarizes expert opinion regarding other prevalent and allergenic pollens throughout the state.