What Are All the White Fluffy Things Floating Around Michigan?

Spring is in the air, and so are all these white fuzzy things floating around Michigan.

It looks like someone took a huge dandelion and blew it all over the state. I wear all black most of the time, so I'm dodging these fuzzballs each time I step outside.

And it doesn't matter if I'm out in the country or in the city, these little fuzzies are floating across seemingly every inch of the Mitten State.

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Don't get me wrong, they aren't invasive, or really all that annoying - it's just strangely noticeable. And I don't remember seeing them last year, but that could be my own poor memory.

But if one of the little fluffy floaties lands on you, you can tell these aren't coming from dandelions. Besides, last I checked, there aren't exactly rolling fields of dandelions in urban areas of Michigan.

So what exactly are these things?

Well, for starters, it's a type of pollen. While they may make you feel a bit sneezy, that's likely due to other pollens in the air while you're seeing them. You'd likely experience more discomfort than a sneeze if one of these things flew into your nose or landed on your eye. But that's not to say you can't be allergic to them.

Of course, it does come from trees, and similar to dandelion 'feathers', it is a fruit capsule containing the seeds of Salicaceae Family trees. These parachutes of fluff can come from willows, aspens, cottonwoods and poplars.

Each of these tree species is here in Michigan, so the fluffs could be coming from any one of them. That said, most of what you're seeing is from aspens, cottonwoods and poplars since they aren't sticky, don't attract insects, and fly for greater distances - all of which are contrary to willow parachutes.