Summary
Tree pollen is now low at all sites except Cape Town. Grass is moderate in Cape Town and Pretoria and weeds are low across the country. The allergenic mould Cladosporium was consistently high in Pretoria.
Cape Town
Grasses were moderate to high. Trees were high and included sumac (Anacardiaceae), cypress (Cupressaceae), hackberry (Celtis), lemon (Citrus), beech (Fagus), gum (Myrtaceae), olive (Oleaceae), pine (Pinaceae) and oak (Quercus). Weeds were mugwort (Artemisia), the daisy family (Asteraceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), erica (Ericaceae) and nettles (Urticaceae). Moulds were low.
Johannesburg
Tree, grass and pollen loads were low at this site. Trees were birch (Betula), false olive (Buddleia), hackberry (Celtis), bushwillow (Combretaceae), ebony (Ebenaceae), ash (Fraxinus), mulberry (Moraceae), olive (Oleaceae), pine (Pinaceae), plane (Platanaceae), oak (Quercus), willow (Salicaceae) and elm (Ulmaceae). Weeds were the daisy family (Asteraceae), pigmyweeds (Crassulaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), plantain (Plantaginaceae) and bulrush (Typhaceae). Moulds were low.
Pretoria
Grasses were moderate. Trees decreased and included bushwillow (Combretaceae), cypress (Cupressaceae), ash (Fraxinus), mulberry (Moraceae), gum (Myrtaceae), olive (Oleaceae), pine (Pinaceae), poplar (Populaceae), mesquite (Prosopis), oak (Quercus), buckthorn (Rhamnaceae), karee (Searsia) and elm (Ulmaceae). Weeds were sedges (Cyperaceae), plantain (Plantaginaceae) and nettles (Urticaceae). Moulds were high with strong peaks for the allergenic mould Cladosporium.
Bloemfontein
5-year means are given as the spore trap is being repaired. Pollen concentrations are usually low at tis time of the year. Trees would include acacia (Acacia-type), false olive (Buddleia). Willow (Salicaceae), olive (Oleaceae), hackberry (Celtis), mulberry (Moraceae), karee (Searsia), bushwillow (Combretaceae), mesquite (Prosopis), linden (Tiliaceae), plane (Platanaceae) pine (Pinaceae) and yellowwood (Podocarpaceae). Weeds might be goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae), the daisy family (Asteraceae), slangbos (Stoebe), knotweed (Persicaria), protea (Proteaceae), spurges (Euphorbiaceae), erica (Ericaceae) and ferns (Polypodiaceae). Moulds would be low.
Kimberley
Pollen was low in all three categories. Trees included false olive (Buddleja), hackberry (Celtis), bushwillow (Combretaceae), cypress (Cupressaceae), waxberry (Morella), gum (Myrtaceae), olive (Oleaceae), mulberry (Moraceae), poplar (Populaceae) and oak (Quercus). Weeds were sedges (Cyperaceae) and ferns (Polypodiaceae). Moulds were low.
Durban
Low pollen concentrations were detected for trees, grasses and weeds. Trees included acacia (Acacia-type), birch (Betula), hackberry (Celtis), ash (Fraxinus), monkey puzzle (Araucariaceae) and pine (Pinaceae). Weeds were ragweed (Ambrosia), nettles (Urticaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae), plantain (Plantaginaceae), protea (Proteaceae), the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae) and mugwort (Artemisia). Moulds were low.
Gqeberha
Pollen concentrations ere low. Trees included acacia (Acacia-type), cedar (Cedrus), waxberry (Morella), olive (Oleaceae), pine (Pinaceae), plane (Platanaceae) and yellowwood (Podocarpaceae). Weeds were pigweed (Amaranthaceae), katstert (Anthospermum), mezereum (Thymelaeaceae), bulrush (Typhaceae), protea (Proteaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae). Moulds were low.
George
Pollen concentrations were low. Trees were yellowwood (Podocarpaceae) only and weeds were figworts (Scrophulariaceae) and the daisy family (Asteraceae). Moulds were low.
Reference Range
Grass: Low: 0-5 Moderate: 6-20 High: 21-200
Trees: Low: 0-15 Moderate: 16-90 High: 91-1500
Weeds: Low: 0-10 Moderate: 10-50 High: 51-500
Moulds: Low: 0-900 Moderate: 900-2500 High 2500-25000
Unit: per cubic metre