Plants and insects confused, blooming and mating in autumn and winter

As trees across the UK are coming into full colour, Nature’s Calendar has received sightings from across the UK of plants flowering in autumn.

These quirks of nature include daffodils in Devon and Cardiff, primroses flowering across the UK from Surrey and Hampshire up to Inverness and the Moray Firth. There are crab apple trees flowering in Nottingham, elder and foxgloves in full bloom in Somerset, apple blossom in West Sussex and Northamptonshire, and wild strawberries in Cardiff and Carmarthen.

Tadpoles
Pond life is active with recordings including dragonflies mating, reports of live tadpoles in Fife and young newts in Edinburgh. All of these are traditionally considered to be spring events, the only question is, are they really late or really early?

Dr Kate Lewthwaite from the Woodland Trust explains: ‘With such mild weather it seems that some plants have been fooled into the flowering cycle for a second time. Unfortunately it is unlikely that the plants will fruit again as it will be too cold. Plants react to the current weather and as such aren’t aware that winter is just around the corner. In the case of the tadpoles and dragonflies the mild conditions have been favourable to allow them to survive.’ Lewthwaite continues: ‘Autumn seems to be stretching from summer to Christmas. We’ve had a bumper crop of blackberries as early as July and in many circumstances we’re still waiting for trees to go into full autumn colour which is a week or so away. Nature’s Calendar even has reports of hawthorn showing both autumn leaves and out of season flowers at the same time and elderflowers still blooming in the hedgerows.’

Help record the seasons changes

While you are out ‘leaf peeping’ you could help take part in the Nature’s Calendar project run by the Woodland Trust. The project - the world’s leading study into phenology - researches how climate change is affecting our seasons and wildlife by analysing data collected from thousands of volunteers across the UK.

To see these wonderful oddities of nature or if you’d just like to go and enjoy striking autumn colour where you live, or to become a Nature’s Calendar recorder visit www.naturescalendar.org.uk and follow the autumn woods link to find a wood near you. Get out now before we’re all sweeping up those leaves ready for winter.