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Real-time pollen data for Tallahassee - updated daily.
Tallahassee's tree pollen season is among the most intense in Florida. The capital city is known for its iconic canopy roads, where massive live oaks form tunnels of branches and Spanish moss over neighborhood streets. These live oaks, along with other oak species, produce heavy, long-season pollen from February through May, coating everything in visible yellow dust. Oak is the single most important tree allergen in the region, with a long pollination period that makes it nearly unavoidable. Eastern Red Cedar begins releasing highly allergenic pollen as early as December, peaking through February — a phenomenon known as "cedar fever" that catches many residents off guard during what they expect to be an allergy-free winter. Pine trees are abundant throughout North Florida and produce enormous visible quantities of yellow-green pollen from February through April, though their larger, heavier grains make them less allergenic than oak or cedar despite appearing worse. Hickory and pecan trees are common in the Tallahassee area and produce particularly potent pollen. Sweetgum trees release allergenic wind-dispersed pollen from March through May. Maple begins pollinating early, often in January. Elm, cypress, sycamore, and ash round out the spring tree allergen mix. The subtropical climate means tree pollen season starts earlier in Tallahassee than in northern states — sometimes as early as late December.
Grass pollen season in Tallahassee is exceptionally long compared to northern cities, lasting roughly from April through September. Bermuda grass is the most prevalent allergenic grass, producing significant pollen across lawns, parks, athletic fields, and roadsides during warm months. Bahia grass is another major contributor, thriving in North Florida's hot, humid climate with deep roots and drought tolerance. Timothy grass adds to the grass pollen burden. Ryegrass is present during cooler months, particularly winter, making grass an almost year-round allergen in the Tallahassee area. Grass pollen grains are lightweight and travel for miles on wind, meaning even residents without grass lawns receive significant exposure from surrounding areas.
Ragweed is the dominant fall weed allergen in Tallahassee, producing highly allergenic pollen from August through November. Dog fennel is a common North Florida weed that contributes pollen during fall months. Nettle, pigweed, lamb's quarters, and dock add to the weed pollen burden. Because Florida's warm climate delays the first frost, Tallahassee's weed pollen season extends significantly longer than cities in the northern United States. Ragweed typically persists until November or even early December in mild years, meaning the fall weed season overlaps with the beginning of Eastern Red Cedar pollination — creating a brief window where both weed and winter tree pollen are airborne simultaneously.
Tallahassee's subtropical humidity makes mold one of the most clinically significant year-round allergens. High humidity promotes mold growth both outdoors and indoors throughout the year. Summer thunderstorms create surges of mold spores as moisture activates dormant colonies. Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Aspergillus are common outdoor mold species. Indoor mold thrives in Tallahassee's humid climate, particularly in bathrooms, under sinks, in HVAC systems, and in older homes. Dust mites flourish in the warm, humid air year-round — Tallahassee's climate is ideal for dust mite populations. Cockroach allergen is a documented indoor trigger in the region. Pet dander is a significant year-round contributor for the capital's pet-owning households.
Severity: Low to Moderate
While most of the country enjoys an allergy break, Tallahassee's Eastern Red Cedar begins releasing highly allergenic pollen as early as December, peaking through February. This catches many residents off guard — winter symptoms are often mistaken for colds or flu rather than recognized as cedar fever. Maple trees may begin pollinating by January in mild winters. Indoor allergens including dust mites and mold are significant triggers as homes are sealed for cooler weather. Tallahassee's relatively mild winters mean true allergy-free periods are brief.
Severity: High to Severe
This is Tallahassee's most intense allergy period. Cedar pollen continues through February while oak, pine, hickory, pecan, sweetgum, and elm all begin releasing simultaneously. Tallahassee's famous canopy roads become tunnels of concentrated oak pollen. The visible yellow dust coating cars, sidewalks, porches, and outdoor surfaces is primarily pine pollen, though the less visible oak and cedar particles are more allergenic. By April, grass pollen begins overlapping with late tree pollen, compounding the allergen burden. Mild, wet winters followed by warm springs produce the heaviest pollen years. Tallahassee's pollen counts during spring are more than tenfold higher than South Florida cities.
Severity: Moderate to High
Bermuda and Bahia grass pollen peaks in early to mid-summer. Tallahassee's hot, humid summers create ideal conditions for outdoor and indoor mold growth. Frequent afternoon thunderstorms temporarily wash pollen from the air but spike mold spore counts as moisture activates dormant colonies. Thunderstorm asthma — where storm outflows break pollen grains into smaller fragments that penetrate deeper into lungs — is a risk during severe summer weather. Indoor allergens become primary triggers as residents run air conditioning continuously, and dust mites thrive in the humid indoor environment.
Severity: Moderate
Ragweed pollen dominates fall, with dog fennel, nettle, and pigweed contributing additional weed allergens. Florida's delayed first frost means ragweed season extends weeks longer than in northern states, often persisting through November. Grass pollen may continue into September. Mold spores remain elevated as falling leaves and organic matter decompose in humid conditions. By late November, the earliest Eastern Red Cedar pollen may begin, meaning the transition from fall weed season to winter tree season is nearly seamless in some years.
Many people assume all of Florida has the same allergy profile, but Tallahassee's pollen counts are more than tenfold higher than South Florida cities like Miami. North Florida's dense forests, canopy roads, and temperate climate produce dramatically more tree and grass pollen than the peninsula's tropical environment. If you moved to Tallahassee from South Florida or assumed your Florida allergies would be mild, the capital's pollen intensity may require a significantly different management approach than what worked elsewhere in the state.
Eastern Red Cedar trees in the Tallahassee area begin releasing highly allergenic pollen as early as December, peaking through February. Because most people don't expect allergies in winter, cedar fever symptoms — congestion, sneezing, sinus pressure, fatigue — are frequently misdiagnosed as colds or upper respiratory infections. If your "winter cold" recurs every December through February, lasts weeks without a true fever, and improves on rainy days, it may actually be cedar pollen allergy. An allergy blood test can confirm this and guide proper treatment.
Every spring, pine pollen coats cars, porches, sidewalks, and outdoor furniture in a thick yellow-green layer. While dramatic looking, pine pollen grains are larger and heavier, making them less allergenic than they appear. The real culprits are oak and cedar pollen, which are smaller, lighter, and far more allergenic but less visible. If your car is yellow but you feel fine, you may not be pine-sensitive. If your car looks clean but you're miserable, invisible oak or cedar pollen may be the trigger. Allergy testing identifies which pollens actually cause your symptoms.
Tallahassee's subtropical humidity creates perfect conditions for dust mites and indoor mold year-round. Keep indoor humidity below 50 percent using your air conditioner and dehumidifiers. Change HVAC filters monthly during pollen season and ensure your system is properly dehumidifying, not just cooling. Older homes are particularly susceptible to moisture accumulation. Mold in HVAC ductwork is a common hidden allergen source in Tallahassee homes — consider having your system inspected if symptoms persist year-round regardless of outdoor pollen counts.
Tallahassee's frequent summer thunderstorms can paradoxically worsen allergy and asthma symptoms rather than providing rain-washed relief. Storm outflows can break pollen grains into smaller fragments that penetrate deeper into the lungs than intact pollen. Mold spore counts surge after thunderstorms as moisture activates dormant colonies. If you notice your symptoms worsen during or immediately after summer storms, stay indoors with windows closed during thunderstorm activity and run your air purifier on high.
HeyAllergy offers telemedicine appointments with board-certified allergists and immunologists licensed in Florida. Book a virtual consultation from anywhere in Tallahassee or the surrounding Big Bend region without the wait for a specialist appointment. Have allergy blood tests ordered at a convenient local lab and receive your personalized treatment plan. HeyPak sublingual immunotherapy drops ship directly to your door and treat the root cause of allergies by building tolerance to your specific North Florida triggers — from oak and cedar to Bermuda grass and dust mites.
February through May is typically Tallahassee's worst allergy period, when oak, pine, hickory, cedar, and sweetgum trees release peak pollen loads simultaneously with early grass pollen. However, Eastern Red Cedar begins pollinating in December, grass pollen extends through September, ragweed persists through November, and mold is year-round. Tallahassee has no truly allergy-free month.
The most common allergens in Tallahassee are oak pollen, Eastern Red Cedar, pine pollen, Bermuda and Bahia grass, ragweed, mold spores, and dust mites. Oak is the single most important tree allergen due to its long season and the density of oaks throughout the city's canopy roads and neighborhoods. A blood allergy test identifies your specific triggers.
North Florida's dense forests and temperate climate produce dramatically more pollen than South Florida's tropical environment. Scientific air sampling has documented pollen counts in Tallahassee more than tenfold higher than South Florida. Tallahassee's oak-lined canopy roads, pine forests, and surrounding woodlands create an allergen-dense environment that the peninsula does not match.
Yes. HeyAllergy provides telemedicine appointments with board-certified allergists and immunologists licensed in Florida. 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 oak, cedar, Bermuda grass, ragweed, mold, 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. Eastern Red Cedar pollinates December through February. Trees peak February through May. Grasses run April through September. Ragweed extends August through November. Mold and dust mites are year-round in the subtropical humidity. The transitions between these seasons often overlap, meaning there is no month in Tallahassee without at least one significant airborne allergen.
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 wait weeks for a specialist opening in the Tallahassee or Big Bend area.
Tallahassee is unlike any other major Florida city for allergy sufferers. While most people picture palm trees and beaches when they think of Florida allergies, the state capital sits in the Big Bend region where the Panhandle meets the peninsula, surrounded by dense hardwood and pine forests, rolling hills, and the iconic canopy roads where massive live oaks draped in Spanish moss form tunnels over neighborhood streets. This is not tropical Florida — it is the deep Southern United States, with a subtropical climate that supports explosive plant growth and year-round pollen production. Scientific air sampling has documented that Tallahassee's total average pollen counts are more than tenfold higher than South Florida cities. For the capital's 200,000 residents and the thousands of Florida State University and FAMU students, this means allergy management is a year-round necessity, not a seasonal inconvenience.
Tallahassee's canopy roads are among the city's most celebrated features — tunnels of mature live oaks, water oaks, and other hardwoods arching over streets like natural cathedrals. These beautiful corridors are protected by local ordinances that preserve the tree canopy along designated roads. For allergy sufferers, however, canopy roads concentrate pollen in enclosed spaces. Driving or walking under pollinating oaks means passing through dense clouds of airborne allergens with limited wind dispersal. During peak oak pollen season from February through May, every outdoor surface in Tallahassee receives a visible coating of yellow dust. While the most visible yellow coating is primarily pine pollen, which is actually less allergenic due to its heavier grains, the invisible oak and cedar particles traveling alongside it are far more potent triggers of hay fever and asthma.
One of the most distinctive features of Tallahassee's allergy calendar is Eastern Red Cedar, one of the few trees that releases pollen in winter. Cedar pollen begins appearing as early as December and peaks through February, causing a condition locally known as cedar fever. The symptoms — severe congestion, sinus pressure, sneezing, fatigue, and sometimes low-grade malaise — closely mimic the common cold or flu, leading many residents to repeatedly treat viral infections that are actually allergic reactions. Cedar pollen is fine, lightweight, and easily airborne, meaning it travels far from the source trees and lingers in the air. For Tallahassee residents who assume winter is safe from allergies, cedar fever is often the undiagnosed explanation for chronic winter congestion that clears up by March when cedar season ends.
Tallahassee's subtropical humidity is the driving force behind its year-round indoor allergen burden. Average humidity levels frequently exceed 70 percent, creating ideal conditions for both dust mite populations and mold growth inside homes. Dust mites thrive in warm, humid environments and are present in bedding, upholstered furniture, and carpet throughout Tallahassee homes regardless of season. Indoor mold grows in bathrooms, under sinks, in HVAC ductwork, and anywhere moisture collects. The frequent summer thunderstorms that Tallahassee experiences create outdoor mold surges as rain activates dormant spore colonies on decomposing vegetation, mulch, and soil. Even when outdoor pollen counts drop during brief windows between seasons, indoor allergens ensure that many Tallahassee residents never experience complete symptom relief without proper management.
Tallahassee's summer weather pattern of daily afternoon thunderstorms creates a specific allergy risk that many residents don't recognize. Thunderstorm asthma occurs when storm outflows and downdrafts break intact pollen grains into much smaller fragments called sub-pollen particles. These fragments are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs, triggering asthma attacks even in people who normally only experience upper respiratory allergy symptoms. The storms also create dramatic mold spore surges as moisture activates dormant colonies in soil, mulch, and decaying organic matter. For Tallahassee residents with both pollen allergies and asthma, summer thunderstorms can paradoxically worsen respiratory symptoms rather than providing the rain-washed relief that many expect.
Specialist availability in Tallahassee and the surrounding Big Bend region is more limited than in larger Florida metros like Jacksonville, Tampa, or Miami. HeyAllergy bridges this gap with telemedicine appointments connecting North Florida residents to board-certified allergists and immunologists licensed in the state. A virtual consultation from your home eliminates the need to search for local specialist availability. Allergy blood tests are ordered at a convenient local lab, and HeyPak sublingual immunotherapy drops ship directly to your door. For a city where allergens transition seamlessly from cedar in winter to trees in spring to grass in summer to ragweed in fall — with mold and dust mites year-round — identifying your specific triggers is the first step toward relief that medications alone cannot provide. HeyPak treats the root cause by building your immune system's tolerance to your identified North Florida allergens.
