Pollen pictures of allergy plants.

Written by Sudhir Setia in EducationLast Updated March 24, 2022

The pollen pictures below were taken in my lab using an Olympus compound microscope. To bring clarity to the features of the pollen, different level of digital zoom is used. As a result, the pollen images are not to scale relative to each other. For example, cypress pollen which is around 32 microns, looks bigger than pine, which is 90 microns. So, do not draw inferences on pollen size by comparing the photos in the pollen library.

Some pictures were taken using a trinocular camera, and some were taken from a smartphone over the eyepiece.

A round pollen, pink stained, with granular cytoplasm.
Douglas fir pollen, 120 microns. @400x magnification under a microscope.
A pink colored round soccer ball like body of acacia pollen
Acacia pollen under a microscope.
A fuchsin stained, pink looking pollen with two grey air bladders on each side
Pine pollen: Microscopic view (~400X) pine family is around 90 to 100 microns in size.
A pink coin like round pollen with granular center
Monterey Cypress: Microscopic view: (Cupressus macrocarpa)
a round fuchsia stained coastal redwood pollen with a small nose like protrusion
Coast redwood pollen with papilla at ~400x magnification.
A fuchsia stained giant sequoia pollen, looks like a currency coin.
A Giant Sequoia pollen. ~400x magnification.
a fuchsine stained round pollen of pistacia chenensis with four pores visible on the edges
Pistacia chinensis: Chinese pistache pollen at ~400x magnification.
a pollen with three pores in fuchsin color
Casuarina pollen at 400X magnification.
a round, fuchsin stained, grain with three protruding pores with dark circles around the pores.
Betula: Birch tree pollen at ~400x magnification.
a triangular pollen with coarse netting on the surface of Olea europaea pollen.
Olea Europaea – Olive pollen under microscope at 400X magnification.
a pink colored round ball with a lighter colored furrow and pore in the center of furrow.
American beech pollen at ~400X magnification.
a pentagonal shaped pollen, fuchsin stained with granules visible in the body.
Chinese elm pollen as seen from a microscope at ~400x magnification.
Enlish Plantain Plantago Pollen Burlingame California
English Plantain (Plantago) Pollen – Burlingame, CA
Pigweed,Russian Thistle, Saltbush Pollen San Franicsco
Chenopod/Amaranthus Pollen
A pollen that looks like pink beach volleyball. A pink circle with three symmetrical white furrows.
Maple pollen at ~400x magnification.
Nettle Pellitory Pollen (Urtica Pollen) San Francisco Bay Area
Nettle Pellitory
Artemesia Sagebursh Pollen - Sunnyvale, CA
Artemesia Sagebrush Pollen – Sunnyvale, CA
A tringular pollen with very thin vein like surface with three white smudged corners
Oak pollen – ~400x magnification.
Willow Pollen
Willow Pollen
a dark pink stained pollen with several pores
American sweetgum pollen at 400X magnification.
a square shaped pollen, fuchsin stained, with four white corners showing the short furrows
Ash tree pollen (Fraxinus) at ~400x magnification.
Sycamore pollen
Sycamore/Plane tree pollen at ~400x magnification.
Pentagonal Alnus pollen with five pores
Alnus pollen as seen from a microscope (~400X magnification)
A triangular pollen or eucalyptus with three furrows
Eucalyptus pollen at ~400x magnification.
Elm Pollen
Elm Pollen
a pollen with short spines with a small furrow.
Ragweed Pollen
Witch hazel (probably, but not sure) @ ~400x magnification.
A round pollen of Celits with three aspidate pores equidistance from each other.
Hackberry (Celtis) pollen at ~400x magnification.
A irregular round pink sshaped pollen with eight annulate pores.
Walnut pollen at~400x magnification.
A small round pink pollen with one visible protruding pore. There is a hint of another pore on the other side , making it a total of two pores. The center mass seems granular.
White mulberry pollen (Morus alba)
a round fuchsin stained pollen with a darker outer ring. This is what causes poplar pollen allergy when inhaled.
Poplar pollen [Populus nigra]. ~400x magnification.
A round, pink coin like juniper pollen. It is the source of allergies to many.
Juniper pollen under a microscope @ ~400x magnification.

Sudhir Setia

Sudhir is certified by the National Allergy Bureau (NAB) as a pollen counter and identifier. He has been living with Hay Fever for nearly 30 years and studies allergens at his aerobiology lab.

2 thoughts on “Pollen pictures of allergy plants.”

  1. Terrific website, the best allergy/pollen site that I’ve seen….well organized, informative, beautiful. Although not a certified counter I’ve had a lifetime interest in pollen study. I really appreciate what you have done.

    Bob Harris
    Texas

    Reply

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