Sneezing next to a vase of mimosa, or through an Australian spring among the wattles? Acacias are not a big hay fever pollen in northern Europe, but close contact can still matter. Our test checks IgE to acacia pollen as part of 300 allergens and allergen components, next to the grasses and trees that flower around it.
Acacias are trees and shrubs of the pea family (Fabaceae), with fluffy yellow flower balls. In Europe most people know them as mimosa, the silver wattle that turns the Riviera yellow in February. The panel uses black wattle (Acacia mearnsii), a close Australian relative.
Acacia pollen grains are large and stick together in clumps. Much of it is carried by insects rather than wind, so airborne counts stay low and exposure is mostly close up. Still, acacia has been reported as an important pollen in tropical and semi-arid regions, where large numbers of trees grow.
Honestly, not much outdoors. True acacias do not grow outside in Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands or Germany. The tree Germans call Akazie is usually false acacia (Robinia), a different tree that is not measured here.
It matters if you work with cut flowers, travel to the Mediterranean in late winter, or spend time in Australia, South Africa or the Middle East. A study in Italy and France found sensitisation in only about 1% of allergic patients in general, but in 31% of flower growers handling mimosa.
People describe hay fever symptoms close to the source: sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes, sometimes a cough or wheeze. Florists and growers report symptoms during the mimosa harvest.
From a finger-prick sample, the lab measures IgE to a whole acacia (Acacia mearnsii) pollen extract as part of 300 allergens and allergen components. Grasses, cypress and olive are on the same report. So are profilin (Phl p 12) and polcalcin (Phl p 7), pan-allergens that can make several pollen extracts test positive together, which helps a doctor judge whether an acacia result is specific.
A positive result means your blood shows IgE to acacia pollen. That is sensitisation, not a diagnosis. Each value gets a class from Negative to Very high, to discuss with a doctor.
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One finger-prick sample checks IgE to 300 allergens and allergen components, from birch and peanut to cat and house dust mite. Post it to the lab, and about 5 days after it arrives you get a value for every one. Our plain-English guide shows you how to read them. €399 in total, €1.33 per allergen.
Mostly, yes. The yellow mimosa sold by florists and grown on the Riviera is an acacia, Acacia dealbata (silver wattle). The true Mimosa genus is a different plant. The panel measures black wattle, a closely related acacia.
It can, mostly up close. Acacia pollen is heavy and largely spread by insects, so outdoor counts stay low. Sensitisation is more common in people with close contact, such as flower growers, and in regions with many acacia trees.
No. False acacia or black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), common in German parks, is a different tree and not on this panel. It is insect-pollinated and rarely discussed as a hay fever trigger.
