Claritin fought pollen by planting female trees

Tree pollen is the leading cause of seasonal allergies in the US, affecting over 30% of Americans. Claritin noticed the part of the problem nobody marketed about: for many species only male trees produce pollen, yet a 1949 USDA recommendation had pushed cities toward male-only plantings to avoid fruit cleanup — leaving cities botanically imbalanced and pollen-heavy.

The DiversiTree Project stopped treating the symptom: Claritin partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation's Community Canopy program to plant female trees in allergy capitals like New Orleans and Richmond, funded a Cornell study on low-pollen planting, and invited the public to reserve female trees. The brand framed its product as a stopgap and the trees as the fix.

In year one, over 200,000 female trees were planted, pollen levels dropped 25% and more than 6.5 million square feet of allergy-fighting green space was created; branded searches for 'Claritin' and 'Fighting Pollen' rose 255%.