Trees injected

Melbourne City Council is injecting plane trees with plant hormones to deter allergies.

The trials are being undertaken in Lygon St, Carlton in response to concerns raised by local restaurant traders.

According to allergenic specialists, while pollen from plane trees does not cause an allergic reaction for most people, open seed pods and fine hairs on the back of leaves produce a physical irritant by getting into people’s throats and eyes.

A CoM spokesperson said to date, two naturally occurring plant hormones and four application methods had been trialled.

“We are trialling a naturally occurring hormone to inhibit flowering in the trees.”

“The trunk injection application method used last year proved unsuccessful so this year we are trialling soil injection and foliar spray methodology on a total of 18 trees.”

Should the trial prove successful in decreasing fruit set, it would be expanded to Southbank and the CBD next year.