Fluff off: 300,000 trees to be injected with birth control

Allergy sufferers may soon be able to breathe easier

In a bid to stave off an incoming catkin-ageddon, Beijing authorities have announced their latest initiative to prevent more than 300,000 willow trees from flowering. 

During spring, the capital is regularly smothered in fluffy catkins due to an overabundance of female willow and poplar trees (male trees don't flower). That's all set to change though, with the Beijing Municipal Landscape and Forestry Bureau announcing on Monday its plans to treat over 300,000 female trees by injecting them with hormone inhibitors to prevent the flowering process. These trees will also have their foliage trimmed and thinned, while high-power jets will be employed to remove floating catkins from the air, preventing their spread.

Beyond treating these trees, a Beijing research team has also successfully developed a new species of male poplar. According to Kang Xiangyang, a professor specialising in tree breeding at Beijing Forestry University, these male trees can grow as fast as female ones, helping speed up the regrowth process. However, with 2 million willow and poplar trees currently calling Beijing home, the city's got a long way to go before its residents will be able to breathe easy. 

Allergies getting you down? Hit 'Read more' for the five best face masks in Beijing.

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