Climate change causing daffodils to flower early
Daffodils are flowering early because of climate change, with some already in bloom now, experts say.
Most varieties come out at the beginning of March and the bright yellow plants have always been synonymous with the onset of spring. Some daffodils have already been seen flowering in parts of the south east, with the society saying that if they are planted in the ground and not in pots, January is extremely early for most.
The Daffodil Society was established in 1898 as the specialist society of Great Britain for all who are interested in the Genus Narcissus.
A spokeswoman said: “There are reports over the past few years that they are flowering earlier.”
Although the UK is currently in the grip of a cold snap, trends show the UK is warming. According to the MET Office, the December provisional UK mean temperature was 5.3C, which is 1.1 °C above the 1991-2020 long-term average.
A spokeswoman for the RHS said: In cold weather it is natural for them to slow down, however we haven’t had many cold temperatures so they are continuing to grow.
“When it warms up they grow very quickly, they also like a lot of running water which helps the bulb to grow.”
Daffodils should be planted in late September and October and they like cool and cold conditions.
