The mountain cedar has beencalled“Texas ’s Most detested Tree”and“Mother Nature ’s hazing ritual just for Texans . ” institute throughout Central Texas incanyons , usurious - sided dry gully , and limestone outcrops , the mountain cedar ( Juniperus ashei ) is famous for shed cloud of pollen each wintertime , induce terribleallergiesfor people in the surrounding region .
The trees , also called Ashe Retama raetam , are native to the part and an of import part of the biome . Its fallen leaves create exceptionally rich and well - draining dirt that supports endemicplantslike cedar salvia and Texas madrone . The tree provides intellectual nourishment and abode for the larvae of juniper hairstreak and olive butterfly . The raregolden - cheeked warbleris believed to create its nests almost solely from Ashe juniper bark . However , all theseecosystem servicesare not enough to win over some Texans to leave the tree alone .
Some of the State Department ’s allergy sick person detest the trees so much that they ’d care to annihilate them . accord totestimonybefore the Texas House of Representatives ’ Agriculture and Livestock Committee in 2012 , pile cedars do n’t just wreak havoc on allergy : They also root for gallon of much - neededwaterfrom Texas soil and even cause wildfires due to the resins in their woods . Some believe that , in addition to causing washy eyes and sniffly noses , the trees sit a actual environmental threat . ( Others have argued that the native junipers have evolve to bedrought - patient of , and while they do tend to bemore flammablethan other tree — especially in drouth conditions — they do n’t spontaneously combust . )
Despite protest , the least pop tree in Texas seems to be adhere around for now . And though they may be trouble for Texan allergy - sufferers , the amount of pollen they produce is undeniably impressive . Watch as mountain cedars release vast cloud of pollen ( assisted by a strong shingle ) in the videos below , and just try not to sneeze .
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A version of this news report was in the beginning bring out in 2016 and has been updated for 2024 .
