Cedar fever season begins in Texas

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – It’s time for Texans to brace for cedar fever season once again. Cedar fever is an allergic reaction to the pollen released by mountain cedar trees, and unfortunately, you don’t have to be allergic to the pollen for it to affect you. In Texas, the predominant species of mountain cedar is Ashe juniper, making cedar fever especially irritating in the Hill Country west of I-35 where there are primarily juniper trees mixed in with oaks and a few other species. “Cedar fever is irritating to many due to the quantity and density of Ashe junipers in Central Texas that all produce pollen at the same time, which leads to a high concentration of pollen in the air,” said Robert Edmonson, Texas A&M Forest Service Biologist and ISA Certified Arborist. The pollen from Ashe junipers isn’t particularly allergenic or harmful, but its concentration is what irritates most because your body perceives it as a threat and begins to fight it. Since the pollen is spread by wind, cedar fever can even affect individuals who are not near a high concentration of juniper trees. And the source isn’t limited to Ashe junipers. In more eastern parts of the...