Pollen Count in Birmingham Today

Birmingham is the UK’s largest city after London, with a population of over 1 million. It is well known for its importance in the Industrial Revolution and for a long time it was at the forefront of innovation and invention.

Now it is a vibrant, multi-cultural city, with plenty to see and do. There’s a fantastic blend of old and new in Birmingham with stylish new buildings sitting alongside the quaint canal and red stone buildings such as the traditional ‘back to back’ houses.

It has come a long way from its grimy industrial past and is now home to plenty of green spaces which may prove to be problematic for hayfever sufferers! Don’t worry though; we’re here to help to let you know which areas to avoid, and what great things you can get up to whilst avoiding pollen.

Described by the Birmingham Mail as a ‘jolly green giant’ with ‘more trees than Paris’, it is estimated that the city has around 6 million trees! Particularly popular in Birmingham is the English Oak, though you’ll find a huge range of trees here, as well as plenty of grass and weeds.

Being an industrial city, pollution levels tend to be relatively high here (though, surprisingly, Birmingham is usually not on the list of most polluted cities in the UK), meaning that pollen will cling to pollution particles and hang around a bit longer than usual.

While Birmingham City Centre has few areas of much greenery, there are plenty of green spaces in the surrounding areas. For example, Edgbaston is a wealthy suburban area which contains huge numbers of trees, hedges and grassy areas.

Like any city, Birmingham has a number of parks which will produce hotspots for tree, grass and weed pollen. These include:

• Canon Hill Park. This beautiful, extensive park – complete with large grassy areas, 5 tennis courts, a bowling green, a lake and two play parks – is unfortunately a no-go for hayfever sufferers because of its large expanses of grass and abundance of trees
• Highbury Park. This park contains large grassy spaces, as well as a huge mixture of trees, including beech, oak, poplar, pine, lime and yew. This means that pollen will be found around the park from as early as February, and will go on until late August
• Summerfield Park. This park consists of large, open, grassy spaces and tree-lined paths, as well as a traditional brick bandstand
• Aston Park. Surrounding the grand Aston Hall, built between 1618 and 1635, this park is part of the original 934 acre Deer Park. It contains a large number of trees, including sycamore, ash, beech and pine, as well as large expanses of open grass areas
• Birmingham Cathedral. This beautiful cathedral provides an area of greenery within the city centre. Whilst not an enormous park, the grass and trees here are significant enough to cause symptoms for more sensitive hayfever sufferers
• St Paul’s Church near the Jewellery Quarter likewise provides a green space of grass and trees, which may affect more sensitive hayfever sufferers, particularly on high pollen count days.

There are plenty of things to do in Birmingham to keep you out of the way of pollen on high pollen count days. You’ll find plenty to do just wandering around the city, but here’s some extra hints and tips of fun and interesting things to do:

• Visit the Cadbury World for a chocolate-filled day. Learn about the history of Cadbury, watch a chocolate-making demonstration, learn about how the chocolate is packaged, how it has been advertised over the years, and stop off in the Cadbury Café for a delicious bite to eat
• Fan of the BBC’s Peaky Blinders series? Then go on a Peaky Tour, and learn more about the real-life Peaky Blinders that inspired the series
• Visit the Sea Life Centre and explore all the different creatures there, from sharks, to turtles, to otters. Fun for all the family, no matter what age!
• Explore the historic Birmingham Back to Backs. Now a National Trust site, these houses have been carefully restored to provide a fascinating insight into the lives of working families in 19th and early 20th century Birmingham
• Explore the fascinating Birmingham Museum and Gallery to learn about the history of the city itself, as well as ancient civilisations like ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. You’ll also find a wide range of paintings and art, from Baroque to the 19th Century and Pre-Raphaelites
• Get some retail therapy in the Bullring shopping centre or nearby New Street. You’ll find a huge range of shops, cafes and restaurants here, but bear in mind that New Street is decorated with a small number of trees.

Our hayfever products such as Pollinosan tablets and Pollinosan nasal spray can be found in a number of outlets across Glasgow – or you can buy online!

Check Indigo Wholefoods in Moseley, as they may stock our hayfever products. We’re also stocked in Holland and Barrett, and there a few stores around Birmingham such as in Chelmsley Wood Shopping Centre, Bullring Shopping Centre and Birmingham High Street.

Looking for relief of red and itchy eyes due to hayfever?

A.Vogel Pollinosan Hayfever Eye Drops contain hyaluronic acid (from vegetable source) and can be used for quick relief of red and itchy eyes due to hayfever. Suitable for contact lense users.

To find local independent stores in your area that sell A.Vogel Pollinosan Hayfever Eye drops, simply type your postcode below.