PollyMapOlive pollen photographed through the microscope in the PollyKit lab — verified in Arizona.
More verified photos of Olive
About olive pollen
A potent spring tree pollen from olive trees, restricted by planting bans in some desert cities.
Plants that produce it
- Fruiting and fruitless landscape olive trees
- Olive groves in California and the Southwest
- Related Oleaceae including ash and privet
How to recognize it
Oval grain with three furrows and a fine, evenly meshed net-like surface. Compact and thick-walled.
Typical published size: 18–28 µm
Commonly confused with
- Ash pollen — coarser network, often more angular
- Privet pollen — very similar; family-level calls are common
Allergy relevance
Strongly allergenic — a leading spring allergen in Mediterranean climates, and one reason Phoenix and Tucson restrict new olive plantings.
Where it's found
PollyMap has verified specimens of Olive from Arizona.
California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas and other warm dry regions.
Also searched as: olive pollen, olea pollen, olive tree pollen allergy, oleaceae pollen.
Related pollen specimens
Citing this specimen: PollyMap Specimen Library. “Olive — verified microscope specimen.” pollymap.com/library/specimen/olive-pollen-arizona-f4a66a
Expert discussion
No published comments yet. If you study palynology or mycology, we'd value your read on this specimen.