PollyMapPalo Verde pollen photographed through the microscope in the PollyKit lab — verified in Arizona.
About palo verde pollen
The pollen behind the yellow spring dust of desert cities — heavy, mostly insect-carried and less allergenic than its visibility suggests.
Plants that produce it
- Blue and foothill palo verde in desert uplands
- Mexican palo verde along washes
- 'Desert Museum' hybrid street trees
How to recognize it
Medium oval grain with three furrows and a reticulate, net-like surface pattern.
Typical published size: 25–40 µm
Commonly confused with
- Mesquite pollen — smaller and smoother
- Olive pollen — finer network
Allergy relevance
Only weakly to moderately allergenic. The bright yellow film it leaves on cars overstates its role; grass and mulberry pollen usually cause the symptoms of that week.
Where it's found
PollyMap has verified specimens of Palo Verde from Arizona.
Sonoran Desert — Arizona, southern California and northern Mexico.
Also searched as: palo verde pollen, parkinsonia pollen, palo verde allergy.
Related pollen specimens
Citing this specimen: PollyMap Specimen Library. “Palo Verde — verified microscope specimen.” pollymap.com/library/specimen/palo-verde-pollen-arizona-bb7440
Expert discussion
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