Allergic reactions to trees?

[nytreeman]

I was reading a post on brown lung and it got me wondering have any had bad allergic reactions from certain trees?I've been in trees covered with poison Ivy or oak many times and have even climbed trees with it for another company whos climber is extremely allergic to it,and have never had a reaction to it,even ripping the vines out by hand with the sap dripping on me.But I had to remove 4 huge Butternuts which had to be pieced down in small cuts and then blocked to the ground.So for 2 days I was covered with the sawdust and sap plus it was 85 degrees out and I was sweating like mad and stained yellow from the sap.Within a day of finishing them I noticed small blisters on my arms and eventually the skin on my arms,chest even some on my face peeled as if from a bad sunburn.I know these trees like walnuts and some others contain juglone but it was the first time I had any problems.just wondered if others had experienced any similar or other reactions?

 

[treevet]

I ve had the same reaction w black walnut on a very hot day and w tree in full fruit. Maybe heat and open pores had something to do w it. We have very few butternut or white walnut around here.

 

[nytreeman]

Thats what I thought it might be Ive taken many walnuts and butternuts but that was the only time I had that happen but it was very hot and humid

 

[ropensaddle]

Well I don't know if it is a reaction but everytime I climb all day
I break out tired the next day lol.

 

[kennertree]

I have the same problem with black walnuts.

 

[ddhlakebound]

I've had small blisters on my arms and face from the black walnut too. I definately agree that hot humid weather and lots of sweat makes it much worse.

 

[moray]

Box Elder. The only thing in all of nature that I seem to be allergic to. Immediate reaction: nose starts running, eyes watering, face gets red, heavy sweating. It all happens within a minute.

 

[adam]

I'm allergic to fig tree sap. Doctor called it " body contact eczema", nasty stuff. My friend and coworker found to be allergic to teak while in Costa Rica. My experience is from Adelaide, Australia.

 

[juststumps]

london planes, make me break out like poisin ivy!!!!!

 

[treevet]

My biggest gripe at this time of year doesn t come from the tree itself but from unmaintained areas under them. I think chigger bites are worse than hornets, bees, spiders etc and you can t even see them. Big welts can last for weeks and even make it impossible to sleep. They crawl up leg until they can t go any further (your family jewels) and put the bite on you. I had a groundy went to the hospital w it.

 

[jrparbor04]

i hate black walnuts,,you think it might have to do something with the chemical they give off underground?????

 

[daveyclimber]

Black Walnuts give me fits from the acid, forget what the acid is called. London Plane give me severe gagging,burning and watery eyes and itchiness

 

[NYCHA FORESTER]

london planes, make me break out like poisin ivy!!!!!

Platanus is an eye and lung irritant

 

[Elmore]

Maple bark stripper's lung

http://hazmap.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/hazmap_generic?tbl=TblDiseases&id=112

 

[Elmore]

Ginkgo, primarily the fruit can irritate or even produce serious dermatitis etc. in a lot of people.
Silk Oak can do likewise.

 

[joesawer]

My biggest gripe at this time of year doesn t come from the tree itself but from unmaintained areas under them. I think chigger bites are worse than hornets, bees, spiders etc and you can t even see them. Big welts can last for weeks and even make it impossible to sleep. They crawl up leg until they can t go any further (your family jewels) and put the bite on you. I had a groundy went to the hospital w it.

Tea tree oil is the best thing I have found for chiggers. The little buggers must be deathly allergic to it.
The fungas spores in the dead trees I have been cutting the last few years give me fits.

 

[juststumps]

Platanus is an eye and lung irritant

i guess my fore arms don't know that......i get rashes on my arms every time!!!

 

[woodchux]

Sumac trees used to give me problems.

 

[jomoco]

Beware the Cow Itch Tree!

Sumac trees used to give me problems.

There is an unusual little tree that grows here in SoCal called a Cow Itch Tree. It is from the Malvaceae genus Lagunaria patersonia sub genus. Native to Australia and Norfolk Island.

This innocent looking little tree is a treeworkers nightmare, it has little fibers on it that fall onto the unlucky treeworker that shakes it, the reaction is almost immediate, scratching and itching ( hence the name ) and cursing followed by comical dancing and flight from this innocent little tree.

Pros that recognize this tree for what it is, will prune it from upwind with a pole pruner and warn his ground crew to wear gloves, long sleeves, respirators and to exercize great care in handling the cleanup of this most devilish little tree, this includes a change of clothes afterwards, and a very careful laundering of the soiled clothes at a laundromat outside the home.

A particularly nasty and cruel practical joke that some of us are guilty of, is to take a cow itch branch and put it in a plastic bag, for later use on jerk-off supervisors or big mouth braggarts in need of schooling in the ways of humility and moderation of their attitudes.

Not that I ever did such a cruel thing!

jomoco