‘Everything is so out of whack’: UK trees experience spring six months early
Summary
Mild autumn temperatures have prompted some UK trees, including horse chestnuts, to flower and show signs of spring growth more than six months early. Experts say heat and drought stress may disrupt trees’ timing with pollinators, reduce next year’s canopy or cause some trees to die; the full effects may not be clear until spring 2028.Key Facts
- October was warmer than average across the UK and was the ninth consecutive month with above-average mean temperatures.
- The Woodland Trust reported horse chestnut trees flowering and showing signs of next spring’s growth unusually early.
- Experts said early flowering may leave trees out of sync with pollinating insects.
- A Woodland Trust scientist said drought may have caused trees to shut down essential systems, with later rain prompting out-of-season flowering.
- Experts said some trees may die or resprout from dormant buds, potentially leaving smaller canopies next year.
- Kew Gardens’ head of tree collections said the trees there had entered dormancy during summer stress and then begun growing again in mild conditions.
- The full impact on trees may not be known until spring 2028.
- Experts linked unusually high temperatures to human-caused climate change, primarily driven by fossil fuel burning.
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