Follow Us
*Disclaimer: HeyAllergy® provides all clinical services furnished to patients in California, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Nevada, Pennsylvania. In New York, clinical services are furnished by Hey Allergy Medicine.
Real-time pollen data for El Paso - updated daily.
El Paso's tree pollen season begins with mountain cedar in late December and January, though most cedar pollen blows in from the Texas Hill Country and New Mexico rather than originating locally. Mulberry trees, once massively overplanted, produce such intense allergenic pollen that El Paso banned planting and selling them in 1992. Despite the ban, surviving mulberry trees (lifespan 30-50 years) still pollinate each spring, producing the most severe tree allergy reactions in the city. Ash and oak trees bloom from late March through May, with oak leaving a visible yellow-green film on cars and outdoor surfaces. Salt cedar (tamarisk) pollinates from March through April along the Rio Grande corridor. Cottonwood trees are native to El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley, pollinating in April. Mesquite, a native Chihuahuan Desert species, pollinates from late April into May. Pecan trees grown in the Upper and Lower Valleys cause the second most severe allergy season after mulberry, peaking in May.
Bermuda grass is El Paso's dominant grass allergen, commonly sold as sod for residential lawns and also growing wild throughout the region. Bermuda grass pollinates from April through November, an exceptionally long season that covers more than half the year. In a desert city where you might not expect grass allergies, Bermuda pollen travels hundreds of miles on the wind and has even been detected in dust storms. Johnson grass adds to the summer grass pollen load. Fescue is present in smaller amounts. The grass pollen season peaks twice: once in May and again in late summer, with elevated levels persisting through fall.
Weed pollen dominates El Paso's second half of the year. Ragweed appears from August through November, with a single plant capable of producing over one billion pollen grains per season. Wind-blown ragweed pollen travels hundreds of miles, compounding local production. Tumbleweed (Russian thistle) is a signature El Paso allergen, releasing pollen in fall before drying out and rolling across the desert landscape. Once dry, tumbleweed no longer causes allergies, but during its green, growing phase it is highly allergenic. Creosote, a common desert bush, contributes fall pollen. Firebush and pigweed add to the autumn weed allergen load. Sagebrush rounds out the fall pollen season.
El Paso faces a unique allergen that most cities do not: desert dust storms. Spring windstorms from March through May kick up fine Chihuahuan Desert particulate matter that irritates airways and worsens allergic rhinitis and asthma even in people without traditional pollen allergies. Dust mites remain a year-round concern despite the arid climate, thriving in homes with evaporative coolers (swamp coolers) that add moisture to indoor air. Mold spores, while less prevalent than in humid cities, collect indoors and can develop wherever water intrusion occurs. Cockroach allergen is also a significant indoor trigger in the El Paso region.
Severity: Low to Moderate
El Paso's allergy year begins with mountain cedar pollen, which arrives after the first freeze, typically in December. Most cedar pollen drifts into El Paso from the Texas Hill Country and New Mexico rather than originating locally. Cedar pollen levels are lower here than in Austin or San Antonio but can still trigger symptoms in sensitive individuals. Indoor allergens including dust mites and mold persist in sealed, heated homes.
Severity: Severe
This is El Paso's most intense allergy period. Surviving mulberry trees produce massive pollen loads in March and April. Ash and oak bloom from late March through May, depositing visible yellow-green pollen on every outdoor surface. Salt cedar pollinates along the Rio Grande corridor. Cottonwood releases its visible cotton in April. Mesquite and pecan follow in late April and May. Compounding the pollen, spring windstorms from March through May generate dust storms that scatter both pollen and desert particulate matter across the city. Bermuda grass pollen begins in April, creating overlap with tree pollen.
Severity: Moderate to High
Bermuda grass pollen peaks in early summer and remains elevated through August. Johnson grass adds to the load. El Paso's extreme summer heat (regularly exceeding 100 degrees) drives residents indoors, where dust mites, mold from swamp coolers, and cockroach allergens become primary triggers. The monsoon season typically begins in June, bringing brief but intense thunderstorms that temporarily wash pollen from the air but create moisture conditions that boost mold growth. Weed pollen begins appearing by late summer.
Severity: Moderate to High
Ragweed dominates fall, producing billions of pollen grains that travel hundreds of miles on desert winds. Tumbleweed (Russian thistle) pollinates during its green growing phase before drying and becoming the iconic rolling desert plant. Creosote, firebush, pigweed, and sagebrush contribute additional weed pollen. Chinese elm provides a secondary tree pollen source. Bermuda grass continues pollinating through October or November. Fall is also when many El Pasoans first realize their symptoms are allergies rather than repeated colds.
El Paso's spring allergy season is unique because strong winds from March through May generate dust storms that scatter both pollen and fine Chihuahuan Desert particulate matter simultaneously. On high-wind days, even people without traditional pollen allergies can experience respiratory irritation. Check both pollen counts and air quality indexes before spending time outdoors. Keep car windows closed while driving, and run the AC on recirculate mode. If you must be outside during a dust event, an N95 mask filters both dust and pollen particles effectively.
El Paso banned planting and selling mulberry trees in 1992 because of their extreme pollen production. However, surviving trees have a 30 to 50 year lifespan, meaning many pre-ban mulberries are still alive and pollinating each spring. If you live near a mature mulberry tree, your March and April allergy symptoms may be significantly worse than neighbors just a few blocks away. Local allergy specialists have noted that mulberry pollen can trigger severe asthmatic reactions simply from walking beneath a pollinating tree. Awareness of which trees are near your home or workplace helps explain symptom patterns.
Many El Paso homes use evaporative coolers (swamp coolers) rather than central AC. While effective for desert cooling, swamp coolers add moisture to indoor air, creating conditions where dust mites and mold thrive despite the arid outdoor climate. If you use a swamp cooler, maintain indoor humidity below 50 percent with a hygrometer, clean cooler pads regularly, and inspect for mold growth in the unit and surrounding ductwork. Switching to refrigerated air conditioning eliminates this moisture source entirely, though it is a larger investment.
Bermuda grass pollinates from April through November in El Paso, covering more than half the year. Because Bermuda is the dominant lawn grass in the region and also grows wild, there is essentially no escape during its season. If you are Bermuda-sensitive, consider replacing your lawn with desert landscaping (xeriscaping) to reduce pollen exposure immediately around your home. Morning hours before 10 AM typically have lower grass pollen, making early outdoor exercise preferable to afternoon activity.
A common misconception is that moving to a dry desert climate eliminates allergies. El Paso disproves this. Pollination occurs nearly year-round due to the warm climate, and allergens from tumbleweed, ragweed, mesquite, and Bermuda grass are specific to desert environments. Many newcomers to El Paso develop new allergies within one to three years of arrival as their immune systems encounter unfamiliar desert allergens. If you relocated to El Paso expecting allergy relief, getting tested to identify your actual triggers is the most important step.
El Paso stretches over 250 square miles with limited public transit options, meaning a traditional allergist visit can require significant driving across the city. HeyAllergy offers telemedicine appointments with board-certified allergists and immunologists licensed in Texas. Book a virtual consultation, have allergy blood tests ordered at a local lab, and receive your personalized treatment plan without fighting traffic on I-10 or Loop 375. HeyPak sublingual immunotherapy (allergy drops) ships directly to your door and treats the root cause of allergies by building tolerance to your specific El Paso triggers.
March through May is typically El Paso's worst allergy period, combining mulberry, ash, oak, and pecan tree pollen with the start of Bermuda grass season and spring dust storms. However, El Paso has near year-round allergy exposure: cedar in winter, trees and dust in spring, grass in summer, and ragweed and tumbleweed in fall.
The most common allergens in El Paso are mulberry tree pollen (despite the 1992 ban, surviving trees still pollinate), Bermuda grass (April through November), ragweed (August through November), tumbleweed (Russian thistle), desert dust, mesquite, ash, oak, pecan, and dust mites. A blood allergy test can identify your specific triggers from El Paso's complex desert allergen mix.
El Paso banned planting and selling mulberry trees in 1992 because male mulberry trees produce extraordinary amounts of highly allergenic pollen. Local allergy specialists documented that mulberry pollen triggered severe asthmatic reactions in some patients, worse than any other local tree. Other southwestern cities including Las Vegas, Tucson, and Albuquerque enacted similar bans. Pre-ban trees still exist and continue pollinating.
Yes. HeyAllergy provides telemedicine appointments with board-certified allergists and immunologists licensed in Texas. Book a virtual consultation from anywhere in the state, have allergy blood tests ordered at a lab near you, and start a personalized treatment plan without visiting a clinic. No referral needed and no waitlist.
HeyPak sublingual immunotherapy uses customized liquid drops placed under your tongue daily. The drops contain precise doses of the specific allergens triggering your symptoms, whether mulberry, Bermuda grass, ragweed, tumbleweed, mesquite, or dust mites. Over time, your immune system builds tolerance, reducing allergic reactions and medication dependence. Most patients notice improvement within 3 to 6 months.
HeyAllergy accepts Medicare and most major PPO health plans, including United Healthcare, Health Net, Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, Oscar, and Tricare. Contact your insurance provider with Tax ID: 85-0834175 to confirm your specific telemedicine coverage.
Effectively yes. Mountain cedar pollen arrives in December and January. Tree pollen and dust storms dominate February through May. Bermuda grass runs April through November. Ragweed and tumbleweed cover August through November. Only brief windows in late November and early December see truly low allergen levels. Indoor allergens including dust mites and mold persist year-round.
HeyAllergy offers fast scheduling with no waitlist. Book a telemedicine appointment with a board-certified allergist and connect from home using your phone, tablet, or computer. No need to drive across El Paso's 250 square miles to sit in a waiting room.
El Paso sits at the western tip of Texas where the Chihuahuan Desert meets the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. At an elevation of 3,740 feet, the city receives only about 9 inches of rain annually and experiences over 300 days of sunshine. This arid, sun-drenched environment might seem like allergy paradise, but the opposite is true. El Paso's warm temperatures support plant growth and pollination across nearly the entire calendar year, and the lack of regular rainfall means pollen and desert dust linger in the air rather than being washed away. Local allergy specialists confirm that pollination occurs almost year-round in El Paso, making it one of the few major U.S. cities where allergy season essentially never ends.
El Paso's most distinctive allergy story involves the mulberry tree. In the mid-twentieth century, mulberry trees were planted extensively throughout El Paso because they provided excellent shade, resisted pests, and thrived in the desert heat. Unfortunately, male mulberry trees produce staggering quantities of highly allergenic pollen. The reaction was so severe that a local allergy specialist testified that mulberry pollen triggered acute asthmatic episodes in some patients from simply walking beneath a pollinating tree, a severity not observed with other local species. In 1992, El Paso banned the planting and sale of all mulberry trees, following similar bans in Tucson, Las Vegas, and Albuquerque. However, mulberry trees live 30 to 50 years, meaning many pre-ban trees still exist throughout the city's parks and neighborhoods. As these trees gradually die off, they are being replaced with native desert species like Mexican redbud, honey mesquite, and desert willow, but the transition will take years to complete.
Unlike most American cities where spring allergy season means pollen alone, El Paso faces a compound threat. March through May brings not only peak tree pollen from mulberry, ash, oak, and pecan but also intense windstorms that generate Chihuahuan Desert dust storms. These events scatter fine particulate matter alongside pollen, irritating airways even in people without traditional pollen sensitivities. The dust storms occur before the monsoon season arrives in June, meaning the driest, windiest months coincide with the heaviest tree pollen production. For allergy and asthma sufferers, this spring combination creates El Paso's most challenging period.
The Rio Grande runs through El Paso, and its corridor supports a distinct ecosystem within the surrounding desert. Cottonwood trees, salt cedar (tamarisk), and pecan orchards line the river valley through the Upper and Lower Valley neighborhoods. Pecan orchards in southern New Mexico and the El Paso valley produce the second most severe tree allergy reactions after mulberry, peaking in May. The agricultural belt along the river adds grass and crop pollens not found in the desert proper. Residents living in the valley neighborhoods of Canutillo, Vinton, Anthony, and the Lower Valley experience higher allergen diversity than those on the mesa or in Northeast El Paso, where desert conditions dominate.
Many people relocate to El Paso or other desert cities specifically to escape allergies, only to discover that arid climates have their own potent allergen profiles. Bermuda grass, the dominant residential lawn grass, pollinates from April through November. Tumbleweed (Russian thistle) is highly allergenic during its green growing phase. Ragweed, mesquite, and creosote are desert-adapted species that thrive in the region. The warm climate means these plants pollinate over much longer seasons than their counterparts in northern states. Within one to three years, newcomers often develop sensitivities to unfamiliar desert allergens their immune systems have never encountered. Rather than allergy-free living, El Paso delivers a different allergen set, not a smaller one.
El Paso's dry climate creates a counterintuitive indoor allergen problem. Many homes use evaporative coolers (swamp coolers) during the brutally hot summer months when temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees. These coolers work by passing air over water-soaked pads, adding significant moisture to indoor air. That moisture creates ideal conditions for dust mites and mold, two allergens that would otherwise struggle in the desert climate. Homes with swamp coolers can develop indoor humidity levels comparable to subtropical cities, negating the arid climate's natural dust mite suppression. For allergy sufferers, switching to refrigerated air conditioning or carefully monitoring indoor humidity can dramatically reduce indoor allergen exposure.
El Paso covers over 250 square miles with a sprawling layout that stretches from the Westside past the Franklin Mountains to the far Northeast and Southeast. Public transit is limited compared to other major Texas cities. A traditional allergist appointment can mean a 30 to 45 minute drive each way across the city, plus waiting room time. For weekly allergy shot schedules, this time commitment becomes impractical for many working residents and families. HeyAllergy's telemedicine model provides El Paso residents access to board-certified allergists and immunologists via virtual consultation from anywhere in the city. Allergy blood tests are ordered at a convenient local lab, and HeyPak sublingual immunotherapy drops ship directly to your home. This root-cause treatment gradually builds tolerance to your specific desert allergens without requiring repeated clinic visits across town.
