The city appears to be covered in a yellow layer as pine and birch trees send out vast quantities of pollen.
University of Otago pollination botanist Dr Janice Lord said the pollen season was earlier and more intense this year because of the mild winter and was more noticeable because of the lack of rain to wash it away.
The culprits in the city were mostly pine and birch trees although native conifers were also fruiting early, she said.
While the increase in pollination could lead to bumper fertilisation, that could change if the city was hit by a cold spell before the fruit matured, as it could drop.
Pharmacists spoken to by the Otago Daily Times yesterday had mostly noticed an increase in sales of antihistamine tablets and sprays in recent weeks.
Some had noticed sales of such products had continued during winter, usually a down time for such products.
