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Susie wrote:I know. Sunday and Monday had spring in the air for sure. I've got kingcups in bud in the pond and buds are swelling on all sorts of other plants too.

I noticed some in flower too at a local damp woodland and I have noticed for several weeks there are cherry trees in blossom. Local goat and green-leaved willows are now producing catkins, but unsure if that ls early or not as I have never really been in an area that has had many willows in it before.

Saw my first daffs in Swansea on 28th Jan, though the coming week is forecast to be very cold, so I suspect any early flowering plants will be abruptly stopped in their tracks.

Windflower and celandines now out in the garden

We now have some crocus and small daffs in flower, the buds are starting to form. The birds are starting to get friendly too. We do not seem to be as advanced as some other parts of the country.

DMS wrote:We now have some crocus and small daffs in flower, the buds are starting to form. The birds are starting to get friendly too. We do not seem to be as advanced as some other parts of the country.

I noticed daffodils and crocuses in flower here last sunday, but not sure how that is compared to other parts of Ireland as I know there is warmer places than here.

The yellow crocus have appeared in East Anglia in the past week,still waiting for the purple ones. Early snowdrops are going over,but still plenty of good ones. About average for this time of year.

Purple crocus well out in Kent, saw my first daffs this morning along with a primrose over the weekend.

Lee

Alexanders and ground-elders out in flower all over the place here.

One of my corn marigolds is about to flower, seems a bit early? Then again it felt like summer today with 19.2C max and bright sunshine, also it is technically the start of British summer time today, which I could never understand why when spring is really just begun (well in a normal year it has usually).

I've mentioned this in the Sightings category, thought it may prove of interest in 'unseasonal flora' also, today near Newport, South Wales, I saw Hawthorn in full bloom, anyone from the more kinder climes of the south seen it out this early?

Bill

Willrow wrote:I've mentioned this in the Sightings category, thought it may prove of interest in 'unseasonal flora' also, today near Newport, South Wales, I saw Hawthorn in full bloom, anyone from the more kinder climes of the south seen it out this early?

Bill

Not from the south, but here in the east of NI, I have seen hawthorn and blackthorn in flower everywhere for past two weeks, didn't think much about it, just thought when I read your post that it IS earlier than normal. Well, being 23C today and in high teens early 20s C for past week, not surprised.

Just a note of caution,hawthorn produces its leaves before the flowers,and is called 'may blossom' for good reason. I have not seen any remotely near flowering yet,even on the south coast and Brownsea Island,where i was today,although the leaves have come on it in the last week.
Blackthorn,in contrast,flowers before the leaves. It is out now.

Blackthorn,in contrast,flowers before the leaves. It is out now.

Does it have to be a certain age before it does this? Mine is 5-6 years old and has produced leaves but no flowers yet.

I have noticed that the hawthorn here that has flowered first, is the ones that have not been cut, not the ones along the roadsides that were trimmed as these have leaves but no flowers yet, seems its older bigger ones left untouched.

Blackthorn (and hawthorn) doen't seem to flower untill mature,probably at around 6 feet high. Trimming rejuvinates it,after a cut,it takes 2-3 years to flower again,on average. Blackthorn usurally flowers earlier in its life than hawthorn.
Cheers.

I have seen hawthorn flowering along part of one hedge on my route to work here in south somerset. There looks to be nothing different about this hedge than any other and so I have been wondering if it was a particularly eary flowering form that found its way into that hedge. I'll have to look out for it next year. Otherwise the rest of Hawthorns are just showing a little green.

Some interesting observations, and thanks for your responses, I've mentioned the early flowering Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna to several people with a specific interest in trees, they were rather surprised at such an early show of blossom, the general consensus was the usual utterances...'global warming' or 'climatic change', still our partially early summer (it's back to proper March today!!!) with unusually high temperatures have probably triggered an early show in some areas.

As a matter of interest several hybrid Hawthorns have entered the scene in recent years and this can only add to the debate, whether my flowering Hawthorn was the real deal (Crateagus monogyna) is another question.

Bill

Bracken fronds seen almost six inches above ground on a mountainside above Abergavenny in South Wales. We can expect similar with Bluebells from now on...that's unless you've seen some already

Bill

Willrow wrote:Bracken fronds seen almost six inches above ground on a mountainside above Abergavenny in South Wales. We can expect similar with Bluebells from now on...that's unless you've seen some already

Bill

I saw bluebells on 25th here in an old woodland in North east Down, NI, did seem quite early.

Also, didn't mention before, but just over a week ago, I saw oak trees producing leaves, now that seemed quite a bit early as I know they are usually one of the last (beside ash) to produce leaves.