Med-High
7.5/10
One of the first trees to release pollen in Indiana — often while the tree still looks bare. Highly allergenic. Most people don't suspect it because the trees don't look like they're doing anything yet.
Severe allergen
📅 February – April
⚠️ Cross-reactive
Med-High
7.5/10
Moderate allergen that peaks in early spring alongside maple and juniper. Common in Indiana and adds to total tree pollen load during the heaviest overlap weeks.
Moderate allergen
📅 February – April
Med-High
7.5/10
Moderate allergen, common in Indiana river valleys. Cross-reacts with olive trees. Often underestimated because it overlaps with peak birch season and gets lost in the noise.
Moderate allergen
📅 March – May
⚠️ Cross-reactive
Med-High
7.5/10
Produces enormous quantities of pollen — the yellow-green dust coating cars in April is usually oak. Moderate allergenicity per grain, but sheer volume makes it significant.
Moderate allergen
📅 April – May
⚠️ Cross-reactive
🌿 Cottonwood / Poplar
◌ Seasonal
Med-High
7.5/10
The white fluffy "snow" in spring is seed casing — not pollen. The actual allergenic pollen is released before the fluff appears. Many people blame the visible fluff and miss the real trigger window.
Moderate allergen
📅 April – May
🌲 Juniper / Eastern Red Cedar
◌ Seasonal
Medium
5.0/10
One of the most potent tree allergens in the Midwest. Triggers strong reactions in nearly all tree-allergic people. The main cause of "cedar fever" in Indiana and Missouri — and it peaks before most people realize spring has started.
Severe allergen
📅 December – April
⚠️ Cross-reactive
🌲 Juniper + 🍁 Maple — Double Load
These two pollens cross-react with each other. If you're sensitive to one, your immune system likely treats the other as the same threat — compounding your total reaction load while both are active simultaneously. This is one of the heaviest periods of the season.
🌲 Juniper + 🌳 Elm — Double Load
These two pollens cross-react with each other. If you're sensitive to one, your immune system likely treats the other as the same threat — compounding your total reaction load while both are active simultaneously. This is one of the heaviest periods of the season.
🍁 Maple + 🌿 Ash — Double Load
These two pollens cross-react with each other. If you're sensitive to one, your immune system likely treats the other as the same threat — compounding your total reaction load while both are active simultaneously. This is one of the heaviest periods of the season.
MCAS Connection
Mold spores are a confirmed mast cell trigger for Liz. Fungal antigens bind IgE receptors on mast cells and cause degranulation — the same mechanism as pollen allergy, but with different timing and different avoidance strategies. Mold spores are smaller than most pollen grains and penetrate deeper into airways. High mold load days compound histamine burden, especially when active pollen is also present. Indoor mold (Aspergillus/Penicillium from basements, HVAC, mulch) contributes a baseline year-round load distinct from seasonal outdoor spore peaks. Quercetin — already part of Liz's supplement protocol — functions as a mast cell stabilizer and helps buffer both pollen and mold reactions.
Low-Med — Low this month
2.5/10
One of the most potent outdoor mold allergens worldwide. A known mast cell trigger — spores are small enough to reach deep into the lungs. Found on dead plant material, soil, and grain crops across Indiana all summer. Strongly linked to asthma exacerbations, especially in children. For MCAS, Alternaria spore bursts (after mowing, after rain on dry leaves) can cause immediate-onset reactions.
Spikes when: Surges sharply after rain following a dry spell, after lawn mowing, and when harvesting corn and soybean fields in fall. Wind dispersal — spores travel miles.
Severe allergen
📅 July – September
⚠️ MCAS trigger
🍃 Cladosporium
◌ Seasonal
Medium — Moderate this month
5.0/10
The most abundant outdoor mold in the world by spore count. Thrives on living and dead plant surfaces — virtually every leaf, stem, and piece of decaying wood in Indiana carries it. Moderate allergenicity per spore, but sheer volume makes it a continuous summer load. Cross-reacts with Alternaria in sensitized people.
Spikes when: Peaks on warm, dry, windy days — spores are actively discharged when humidity drops after rain. Also high after leaf fall begins in September and October.
Moderate allergen
📅 June – September
⚠️ MCAS trigger
🌫️ Aspergillus / Penicillium
◌ Seasonal
Medium — Moderate this month
5.0/10
Year-round indoor and outdoor molds — Aspergillus and Penicillium spores are nearly always present in Indiana air at some level. Both thrive in damp conditions: basements, mulch piles, compost, HVAC systems, and damp soil. Aspergillus can colonize sinuses in MCAS patients (fungal sinusitis) and worsen nasal histamine load persistently.
Spikes when: Highest after late-season rains in October–November when temperatures are still warm enough for growth. Compost piles and mulched garden beds are major point sources. Also elevated indoors in winter if any moisture intrusion exists.
Moderate allergen
📅 Year-round, peaks Oct – Nov
⚠️ MCAS trigger
Medium — Moderate this month
5.0/10
Primarily a grain and soil mold — common in Indiana's corn and soybean fields during spring planting and early summer. Less potent as an airborne allergen than Alternaria or Cladosporium but can spike dramatically near agricultural areas during crop disturbance. Also found on grasses and decomposing plant matter.
Spikes when: Highest during spring field work — tilling, planting, and spraying disturb soil and release spores. Also elevated near grain storage facilities.
Mild allergen
📅 April – June
⚠️ MCAS trigger
🌽 Smuts & Rusts
◌ Seasonal
Low-Med — Low this month
2.5/10
Fungal pathogens of grain crops — corn smut and wheat rust are present in Indiana from late spring through fall harvest. Spore counts near corn and wheat fields can be very high in summer. Moderate allergenicity but locally significant, especially in rural Elkhart County and the agricultural areas surrounding Bristol.
Spikes when: Peaks during warm, humid summer weather when corn is maturing. Harvest season in September–October releases large spore pulses. Wind carries spores miles from source fields.
Mild allergen
📅 June – September
⚠️ MCAS trigger
Seasonal mold spore estimates for Indiana based on regional aerobiology data. No live mold data is available from Open-Meteo — all mold readings are historical calendar estimates. Actual counts vary significantly with recent rainfall, temperature swings, local vegetation, and proximity to agricultural fields.
Historical seasonal estimates for Indiana & Missouri based on multi-year pollen monitoring data. ● Live types updated every 20 minutes from Open-Meteo Air Quality API. ◌ Seasonal types show expected intensity for this month based on historical patterns — no live data available for these species.