One of the main UK gardens for cherry blossoms has announced that its blossoms have arrived much earlier than usual this year.
Batsford Arboretum in the Cotswolds, which holds the National Collection of Prunus (Sato-Zakura group) cherries, usually sees its trees blossom in mid-late April. But the cherries have flowered earlier than usual.
You may also like
- 18 of the best cherry blossom trees
- Cherry blossom jam recipe
- How the weather is impacting our gardens
February was one of the warmest on record globally, and there was a cold snap in December, which has meant the blossom has been more extensive and early this year.
Batsford’s head gardener, Matthew Hall, explains: “Equal amounts of rain and sun last summer, along with a cold snap in December, helped make the blossom so magical. There was also very mild weather in February which helped developed the flower buds on many of the trees, and having very few frosts has helped protect the flowers. It’s fair to say we are in the midst of a magical time for spring flowering trees and shrubs!”
In recent years the National Trust has started a blossom-focused campaign, inspired by the Japanese hanami tradition. But the charity announced last month that the cherry trees in their gardens have also blossomed four weeks early.
That said, the recent cold weather and rainfall has meant growth has slowed and in certain National Trust gardens blossoms started early, but are now only running a few days ahead, if at all.
Pamela Smith, national gardens consultant for the National Trust said: “This winter, we encountered unseasonably warm temperatures, and there is no denying that effects of climate change are getting more noticeable year on year."
One of the positive outcomes of the early blossom is that it provides a good source of nectar white-tailed bumblebees and other emerging pollinators.
Here's a great recipe for cherry blossom jam
