Winter warmth brings early blossom across the UK

Some blooms have emerged four weeks earlier than usual, according to the National Trust. Scientists say it’s part of a broader trend as a result of climate change. A study by Cambridge University in 2022 found that the UK and its flowers are blooming one month earlier than they used to. Gardeners at Kew Gardens in London say it’s unusual to have so many species in bloom.

They say it’s down to climate change and a reduction in the number of frosts. The UK now sees about three weeks less of ground frost annually than it did 50 or 60 years ago. Cumbria and Edinburgh now see the same number of frosts as southerly Sussex and Kent did in the 1960s and 1970s. While the number of frosty days is decreasing overall, individual frosts can and will still happen well into the spring.

Those plants that bloom early will be more vulnerable to those late-season frosty spells.

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