Bermuda grass pollen allergy
Cynodon dactylon
Bermuda grass is a warm-season southern grass with a long pollen season. It often releases pollen year-round and is common in the southern states.
What it is
Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) is a perennial, warm-season grass of the southern US. Its origin is given as East Africa or India, and it forms sod.1 It spreads quickly in all directions by seed, by underground stems (rhizomes) and by runners above ground (stolons).2 It tolerates drought but grows best where it is watered, and it turns up in gardens, landscapes, orchards, vineyards, roadsides and along streams.2
Like other grasses, it releases its pollen into the wind.3 AAAAI classes it as a southern grass, separate from northern grasses such as timothy.3 Botanists place it in the grass subfamily Chloridoideae, and its pollen carries a different mix of allergens from temperate grass pollen.4 The northern pasture grasses belong to another subfamily, Pooideae.11 A 2018 review noted that one of Bermuda grass’s allergens, Cyn d 1, was then the only subtropical grass allergen component sold for diagnostic use.4
Symptoms it causes
Breathing in grass pollen, Bermuda included, can cause sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose, an itchy nose and facial pressure, along with itchy, red, watery eyes.3 In people with asthma, it can bring on coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.3 Less often, direct contact with grass raises itchy, red welts (hives).3
A 2007 University of Arizona extension bulletin for Yavapai County, Arizona, calls common Bermuda grass possibly the worst allergy offender there and says it can cause allergy problems from spring through fall.8
Cross-reactivity between Bermuda grass and northern grasses is incomplete and mostly one-way. In a Minnesota study, Bermuda grass pollen could not block half of the allergy antibody binding to several northern grasses, and far more timothy was needed to block binding to Bermuda grass.4
Where and when it grows
Bermuda grass is common in the southern states, where it often releases pollen year-round.5 In the subtropical parts of Florida, it pollinates all year.6 More broadly, grass pollen can be found year-round in warm areas such as California, Texas and the South.7
In Yavapai County, Arizona, Bermuda grass may flower several times in one growing season. The county’s 2007 extension bulletin gives its high-pollen months there as June through September.8
It is also spreading north. An AAAAI work group reports that Bermuda and Johnson grass have been expanding steadily northward, so that testing for them should now be considered in most of the US, except possibly the northern Midwest.11
Not every Bermuda lawn sheds pollen. A University of Arizona turf specialist describes the hybrid varieties sold for Arizona home lawns as sterile plants that are planted from sod, plugs or sprigs rather than seed and produce no allergenic pollen.9 Well-kept, properly fertilized Bermuda grass makes few, if any, flowers, and Pima County, Arizona, requires common Bermuda grass to be mowed regularly to reduce excessive flowering.10
Cross-reactions
| Can also react to | What happens |
|---|---|
| Timothy and other northern grass pollen | The overlap is incomplete and mostly one-way. In a Minnesota study, Bermuda grass pollen could not block half of the allergy antibody binding to several northern grasses, such as orchard grass and ryegrass.4 |
Symptoms it can cause
When to get help
See an allergist if
- Allergy symptoms last for several months of the year
- Allergies bring repeated sinus problems, a blocked nose or trouble breathing
- Over-the-counter remedies don’t control your symptoms
- Allergies or asthma get in the way of daily life
- You often wheeze, cough at night or after exercise, or feel short of breath
Based on ACAAI’s “When To See an Allergist”. General information, not medical advice.
Questions
Is Bermuda grass pollen in the air all year?
In the warmest areas it can be. ACAAI notes that Bermuda grass often releases pollen year-round and is common in the southern states.5
Do all Bermuda grass lawns release pollen?
No. A University of Arizona turf specialist describes the hybrid varieties sold for Arizona home lawns as sterile plants that produce no allergenic pollen.9
Is a Bermuda grass allergy the same as a timothy grass allergy?
Not entirely. Bermuda grass is a subtropical grass and timothy a temperate one. Their pollens carry a different mix of allergens, and cross-reactivity between subtropical and temperate grass pollen is incomplete.4
Sources
- Bermudagrass. Oklahoma State University Extension. Read on October 15, 2026.
- Bermuda grass. University of Arizona, AZ Invasive Plants. Read on October 15, 2026.
- Mowing Down Your Grass Allergies. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Read on October 15, 2026.
- The molecular allergology of subtropical grass pollen. Molecular Immunology (author manuscript, QUT ePrints). Read on October 15, 2026.
- Gardening with Allergies. American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Read on October 15, 2026.
- Pollen and Allergies in Florida. University of Florida IFAS Extension, Gardening Solutions. Read on October 15, 2026.
- Pollen Allergy. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Read on October 15, 2026.
- Plants That May Cause Allergies in Yavapai County. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. Read on October 15, 2026.
- Vegetative Bermudagrass for Arizona Lawns. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. Read on October 15, 2026.
- Pollen and Allergies. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County. Read on October 15, 2026.
- Impact of climate change on aerobiology, rhinitis, and allergen immunotherapy: Work Group Report from the Aerobiology, Rhinitis, Rhinosinusitis & Ocular Allergy, and Immunotherapy, Allergen Standardization & Allergy Diagnostics Committees of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (AAAAI Work Group Report). Read on October 15, 2026.