Flowers are beautiful. They brighten up a room and make everything in it seem more beautiful, more cheerful. For most people a vase of flowers on the table signifies that that room is a happy one, a comfortable place to be. For allergy sufferers, however, a vase of flowers is far from inviting- it's treacherous.

If you're one of those unlucky people who enjoys fresh flowers but has to consider the effect they'll have on your allergies, plastic flowers are not your only option. You just have to know which types of flowers are dangerous. Of the huge variety of flowers that you can plant or buy, many types of flowers will affect your allergies very little- or even not at all.

Dangerous Flowers for Allergy Sufferers

Truth is, if your allergies are particularly severe, most flowers are going to affect you negatively. In general, the more dangerous flowers are the ones with more pollen. So a good guideline when decorating with flowers to avoid those ones that have visible pollen.

One type of flower that is particularly bad for allergy sufferers is tree flowers. If creating a flower arrangement, be careful not to include almond, cherry, orange, or any other kind of tree blossom. Though they are beautiful flowers, they're some of the most powerfully allergy-causing.

Lilies are some of the more dangerous flowers for allergy sufferers, as parts of them are covered in powdery orange pollen. Strangely enough, however, they can be a good choice for allergy sufferers, as it's easy to simply remove the stems of pollen from each flower. Just have a non-allergic friend or family member do this particular job, as it will probably have you sneezing in two seconds flat.

Good Flowers for Allergy Sufferers

There are several types of flowers that will affect allergy suffers less. One of these is possibly mums and daisies. While regular mums and daisies do have lots of pollen, an new hybrid type of daisy, called formal doubles, that do not have any pollen at all, and therefore won't aggravate allergies. Forma double flowers were bred so that the parts of the flower that used to produce pollen now produce petals. Watch out for regular mums and daisies, however, as they can be highly allergic. If in doubt, ask your florist.

Another great choice for the allergy sufferer is roses. Roses are some of the most beautiful and elegant flower you can find, and fortunately for allergy sufferers, they don't have much effect on allergies. The reason for this is that their pollen is too large in size to be able to become airborne and truly infiltrate the respiratory system. If in doubt, choose roses with little or no smell- the less smell, the less pollen.

Last but not least, one of the best kinds of flowers for allergy sufferers are orchids. Orchids are gorgeous and exotic flowers that come in an amazing variety of shapes and colors. Very few types of orchids cause any pollen-related allergies, and so are quite safe for those allergic to most flowers. It is important to note, though, that some orchids may cause a slight skin rash on sensitive individuals.