Why Did El Paso Ban Mulberry Trees And What Do We Do Now?

Over 30 years ago, El Paso banned the planting of Mulberry trees. Now, decades later, those that had already been planted are dying off. What can replace them?

El Paso, along with Las Vegas, Tucson and Albuquerque, banned the planting and sale of Mulberry trees in 1992 because of the insane amount of pollen they produce.

Being an allergy sufferer myself, I was ok with this but I also didn't really see what good it would do. I was right ... 32 years later, I'm still sneezing my head off.

The main reason they got so popular here, and throughout the southwest, is the fact that they produce good shade, resist pests and grow well in hot, dry climates like ours.

That's why everyone planted them everywhere but soon realized they create more allergens than other trees and were making many people, like me, miserable.

“While many people are mildly to moderately allergic to mulberry pollen, just as they are to other pollen, mulberry pollen to some is a dramatic allergen, setting off severe asthmatic reactions,” he said. The reactions could be triggered from something as minor as walking under a pollinating tree, he noted. - Dr. John York via El Paso Matters

Mulberry trees typically live 30 - 50 years so, 30+ years after the ban, existing trees are dying off and many peeps will want replacement trees.

Note, according to El Paso Matters, it's the male Mulberry tree that pollinates the shizzle out of the place but the law does not specify by gender, it bans both.

Here are a few suggestions if you're losing yours: For drought resistant trees, click here.

If you don't care how much water they need and just want low allergen trees, click here.

For zero allergen trees, click here.