Name: Barbara
Grade: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
I'd like to ask a botanist a simple question (I think), but
one which hours of web searching hasn't clearly answered so far. How
long do pollen seasons (specifically live oak) last? I'd always heard the
cycles were about 6 weeks long. Where I live (Austin, Tx), our oak
season usually starts in early to mid-March and is done by early May.
Imagine my surprise to see oak pollen registering in pretty high numbers
since mid-February this year. We have been in a drought if that makes a
difference. Logic tells me that if it starts early one year, it would
therefore end early? Am I correct in this assumption? I'd deeply
appreciate any clarification you could give me on this question.
Replies:
Live oak refers to a number of different species.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_oak
e.g., Quercus fusiformis, which is noted as flowering in "spring" but can be variable.
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