In a warming world: Plants are flowering a month early

Plants in the UK are flowering a month earlier than average due to climate change suggests research.

A study conducted by the University of Cambridge has used citizen science records dating to the mid-18th century to come to the conclusions that the modern climate is resulting in earlier flowering plants.

Using more than 400,000 observations of 406 plant species, the team found that the average first flowering date for the 1987 to 2019 period is an entire month earlier than the average dates between 1753 and 1986.

Although pleasing to the human eye, this change has a significant impact on our ecosystem, gardeners, and farmers.

Species which synchronise their hibernation in conjunction with the winter season experience an ecological mismatch, without the flowers they rely on to survive.

For farmers, crops and trees which bloom before spring arrives could be killed by late season frosts. Impacting livelihoods in addition to the environment, and food supply chains.