The snow of summer has been floating around Okotoks recently.

The fuzz is actually poplar tree seeds being carried in a ball of fluff.

Alexis Ference, certified arborist with Kayben Farms, says while many people may think it's responsible for allergies, it's actually pretty harmless.

"If it really piles up it can be a bit of a fire hazard, sometimes kids like to light it up because it kind of puffs up like a dandelion would, but it's not an allergen, it's mostly just a nuisance."

It's female poplars that produce the fluff and not male ones, which is why many nurseries only carry males.

Ference says poplars are mostly used in big parks and acreages instead of residential areas.

"They grow fast, they've got invasive roots, and they've got a few nuisance problems like dropping really sticky buds that can wreck paint on cars, then the fluff bothers a lot of people as well."

She adds the fluff only lasts for about a week and typically stops floating around after solid rainfall.

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