Sense of Scents

Sense of Scents

March 9, 2026 at 06:30PM

For many people allergic to pollen, spring can be both beautiful and dreadful. But for Ana Maria Cox, experiencing cedar fever—caused by Ashe juniper trees in central Texas—has instead proved grounding, giving her a sense of place. “[C]edar convinced me to move back home,” Cox writes. “I was a little lost, and when you’re lost, discomfort can orient you in space.” Her essay, part of Texas Highways’ Open Road series, is a lovely read on scent, home, and belonging.

You can fake an accent, buy a pair of cowboy boots, adopt a football team, feign a favorite taco truck, appropriate “y’all,” and complain about Californians—while stepping in front of your own license plate. But the allergic reaction to cedar pollen is both involuntary and impossible to simulate. The only thing up to you is how much you complain.

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from Longreads https://longreads.com/2026/03/09/texas-scent-cedar-fever/
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