PollyMapMaple (Acer spp.) pollen photographed through the microscope in the PollyKit lab — verified in Arizona.
About maple pollen
Very early spring tree pollen from maples and box elder.
Plants that produce it
- Box elder (Acer negundo), the most allergenic maple
- Silver, red and sugar maple in yards and forests
- Bigtooth and Rocky Mountain maple in canyons
How to recognize it
Oval grain with three long furrows and a striate surface of fine parallel ridges running between the furrows.
Typical published size: 25–40 µm
Commonly confused with
- Ash pollen — reticulate, not striate
- Oak pollen — granular, not ridged
Allergy relevance
Varies by species; box elder is strongly allergenic and releases early, while ornamental maples are milder.
Where it's found
PollyMap has verified specimens of Maple (Acer spp.) from Arizona.
Maples grow in nearly every state; box elder is widespread in the West and Plains.
Also searched as: maple pollen, acer pollen, box elder pollen, maple pollen allergy.
Related pollen specimens
Citing this specimen: PollyMap Specimen Library. “Maple (Acer spp.) — verified microscope specimen.” pollymap.com/library/specimen/maple-acer-spp-pollen-arizona-0c8a7f
Expert discussion
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