Plants need love as much as anyone. But unfortunately for us, some plants' very public displays of affection can be hard to ignore. That's because many people — including some 35 million Americans — have severe allergic responses to plant pollen, even though the reproductive specks are otherwise harmless.

 

Allergy testing can tell you which plants' romantic overtures offend your immune system, but then what? Say you're allergic to ragweed, ash trees, timothy grass or mugwort. Where do they grow? When do they pollinate? And what can you do? For answers to these and other itching, burning questions, check out the following roundup of 11 plants that prove the Everly Brothers and Nazareth right: Love hurts. (Text: Russell McLendon)