It’s because most flowers depend on insects for pollination, and therefore the pollen from flowers is heavy and isn’t usually found in the air. Plants that are insect pollinated are termed entomophilous. If a plant has a colorful flower, it’s for a reason: To attract insects in order to carry its pollen to another flower for cross-pollination.
Most plants that cause a significant amount of allergies are wind-pollinated and are termed anemophilous. These plants, including most trees, grasses and some weeds, don’t have pretty flowers and don’t make colorful pollen.
Some people can have allergies to colorful flowers, and this is particularly true if a person has close contact with the flower. Florists and avid gardeners, for example, may suffer from allergies caused by colorful flowers as a result of frequent direct contact with the flowers. Otherwise, for the rest of us, allergies to flowers only occur on those special occasions when you actually receive flowers from a loved one.
Learn more about allergy to pollens.
Source:
Esch RE, Bush RK. Aerobiology of Outdoor Allergens. In: Adkinson NF, Yunginger JW, Busse WW, et al, eds. Middleton’s Allergy Principles and Practice. 6th edition. Philadelphia: Mosby Publishing; 2003:529-56.
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