Those fluffy white tree seeds that seem to be covering everything in the Hudson Valley this week pose a hidden danger.

You may have noticed that there is an abundance of these cotton-like seeds floating around your yard this year. For some reason, the cottonwood trees in the Hudson Valley have been releasing a large number of their seeds this spring. They're in your hair, in your eyes, up your nose and all over your yard.

Many people confuse the fluffy, white stuff with pollen. But while they may carry lots of pollen on them, the cotton's main objective is to send seeds from the cottonwood tree throughout the area to produce new trees.

These annoying. fluffy seed pods also pose a hidden danger; they are extremely flammable. Lawns and driveways can be completely covered with the white fuzz, creating a situation where a cigarette or other lit object could quickly start a fire.

If you don't believe me, check out this videos of a cottonwood fire started by a homeowner on purpose to clear his yard of the white fuzz.

Burning cottonwood seeds is a common way of quickly removing them from your yard, but it can be very dangerous as the fire can quickly spread in many different directions. In areas like Colorado and Utah where there is an abundance of cottonwood trees, officials regularly send out warnings to residents to remind them of how quickly a cottonwood fire could escalate.

Because of the abundance of cottonwood seeds sighted throughout the Hudson Valley this year, it's important to be extra cautious if you have a large number of them covering your property.

Do you have cottonwood fuzz covering your property? Let us know what you do to clean them up in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

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