Some people think it's air pollution, while others think they have discovered an oil spill. Pollen is a natural substance consisting of tiny grains which carry the male genetic material during pollination.
Most pollination is dispersed by the wind and by insects transporting pollen between plants.
Pollen is in the air year-round, but the concentration is highest during May and June. This is well known to the millions of Canadians with allergies who suffer through the annual hay fever season. In Atlantic Canada, the most prolific producers of pollen are the coniferous or evergreen trees. When conditions are right, usually in the latter part of May, the huge quantities of pollen produced by the evergreens are visible as a haze over the forest. The greatest amount of pollen is released between 8 a.m. and noon each day.