Q: Does melaleuca cause allergies?
A: Melaleuca flowers throughout the year and many people have positive allergic reactions to its pollen in clinical allergy tests. But melaleuca is pollinated by bees, not wind, and its pollen is not readily airborne, so it is unclear how much exposure one would have to the pollen outside of a doctor's office. There may be additional compounds that the flowers release, such as airborne volatile compounds that function as allergens. Skin exposure to oils in melaleuca bark or leaves may result in contact dermatitis.
