Allergy-Free Native Plants in New Jersey

During a recent consultation, homeowners asked about native plants that wouldn’t worsen their family’s severe allergies. We wanted to share what we found, since this is likely a concern for many families — over 50 million Americans deal with pollen-related allergies or asthma. Is it possible to choose plants that won’t aggravate allergies andare native to New Jersey?

It can be tricky — many native (and ornamental) plants produce a lot of pollen. There wasn’t a lot of reliable information online, but we found a helpful resource: Allergy-Free Gardening by Thomas Leo Ogren (published in 2000). The book includes a 1–10 allergy rating system, from least to most allergenic, for a wide range of plants and trees.

While the book doesn’t focus exclusively on natives (this would be a great new book, Mr. Ogren!), we went through it and pulled out native plants for New Jersey with low allergen ratings.

We’ve summarized some key takeaways and put together a few low-allergy native plant lists below, focusing on species least likely to trigger allergies.

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A few key takeaways from the book:

  • “Perfect-flowered” plants - those with both male and female parts in the same bloom - usually cause fewer pollen allergies since their pollen doesn’t need to travel far.

  • Insect-pollinated plants generally trigger fewer allergies than wind-pollinated ones.

  • Fragrance can contribute to allergic reactions. Interestingly, off-white or greenish flowers tend to cause more allergies than brightly colored ones.

  • Flower shape matters - trumpet-shaped blossoms rarely cause allergies since they’re designed for insects to crawl inside and contact the pollen.

  • Pollen release duration varies: some plants shed pollen for just a few days, others off and on for much of the year.

  • Pollen weight plays a role - heavier pollen falls nearby, while lighter pollen drifts easily and causes more problems.

  • Dioecious plants (those with separate male and female plants) offer an option: female plants don’t produce pollen, so it’s possible to design a low-allergen garden by selecting only females.

  • Some plants trigger immediate reactions, others delayed ones.

  • Proximity matters - avoid planting high-allergen species close to windows, decks, or outdoor seating.

  • Pesticides can heighten sensitivity; using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) helps reduce chemical exposure.

  • Hard pruning deciduous trees can prevent flowering the following year, reducing pollen output.

  • For those allergic to grass, consider replacing lawns with low-allergen groundcovers.

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Low-Allergy Native to New Jersey Plants

Below are several native plants grouped by those least likely to trigger allergies, along with their preferred growing conditions.

#1 on the scale (plants with lowest allergy)

  • Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) – Prefers full sun to part shade and moist to wet soil. Excellent for rain gardens. Not drought tolerant; moderately deer resistant. Height: 2–4 ft.

  • Pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta) – Thrives in full sun and dry, well-drained soil. Drought and deer tolerant. Height: 4–12 in.

  • Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) – Prefers part shade and average to dry soil. Deer resistant and drought tolerant. Height: 1–3 ft.

  • Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) – Likes full sun to part shade, moist to average soil. Deer resistant and drought tolerant once established. Height: 1–2 ft.

  • Common Violet (Viola sororia) – Prefers part shade to shade, moist to average soil. Deer resistant and adaptable to various conditions. Height: 6–12 in.

  • Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) - Prefers shade or partial shade, drought tolerant, deer tolerant.

#2 on the Allergy Scale (out of 10)

  • Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) – Best in full sun to part shade, acidic, moist, well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established. Need deer protection while the play is young. Height: 6–12 ft.

  • Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) – Full sun to partial shade. Dry to moist soil. Drought tolerant, deer resistant. Height: 2–4 ft.

  • Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans) – Full sun to shade, prefers part shade. Moist, rich, well-drained soil. Height: 1–1.5 ft. Deer tolerant, low drought tolerance.

  • Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia Australia) - Full sun to part-shade. Drought tolerant, deer-tolerant grows to 3 - 5 ft.

#3 on the Allergy Scale (out of 10)

  • Bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia) – Part shade; moist to rich soils. Grows 8–15 ft tall. Moderate drought tolerance; not strongly deer resistant.

  • Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) – Shade to part shade; consistently moist, humus-rich soils. Grows 2–4 ft tall (up to 5 ft in ideal conditions). Deer resistant, low drought tolerance.

  • Shrubby Cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa) – Full sun to part sun; adaptable from dry to moist soils. Grows 2–4 ft tall. Drought tolerant and deer resistant.

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