What the fluff? It's poplar cotton, and there's a lot this year

If you’re walking around Windsor lately and wondering, “what the fluff is this stuff?,” you’re not alone. 

Poplar cotton — the white, nearly snow-like substance coming off the trees and collecting in grass and potholes — seems to be particularly abundant this year and is a sure sign allergy season is here, experts said. 

The fluff is a collection of seed hairs coming from trees in the family of trees that includes poplars, aspens and willows, said Sandy MacDonald, a professor of landscape horticulture at St. Clair College. 

Poplar cotton — the white, nearly snow-life substance coming off the trees and collecting in grass and