CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Many people have been wondering about the floating white cotton fluff that has been blowing through the air here in western Massachusetts. In case you did not know, it is actually poplar seeds.

22News spoke Tuesday with the people from G&H Landscaping, who said that poplar trees (also known as cottonwood trees) spread their seeds through the wind. The fluffy, cotton pieces come after the poplar trees pollenate.

Poplar pollen is a very mild allergen that affects people before the spreading of fluffy cotton.

The cotton buildup only lasts for two weeks a year, but you can see the piles of cotton almost anywhere. Jason Karol of Chicopee told 22News that it has been a strange pollen season for him.

“Yeah, very bad seasonal ones. This is a weird year. This is the first time I didn’t have to take the allergy pill, so I don’t know what’s in store. I’m just going to ride it out and see how far we can go without it,” Karol said.

Pollen counts Tuesday are at a “medium,” and they will be at a medium again on Wednesday. The main allergens right now are maple, oak, and mulberry.