Climate change: Avocados and

exotic plants grow in hot UK

summer
By Ella Hambly
BBC News Climate and Science


Published

3 days ago


IMAGE SOURCE,OLIVER DIXON/RHS

Image caption,
Pomegranate fruit at Royal Horticulture Society garden at Wisely, Surrey
Record-breaking hot and dry weather this summer has seen more exotic
plants including figs and avocadoes growing in the UK, gardeners have
told BBC News.
It's part of a trend of Mediterranean and sub-tropical plants thriving in recent
years, they say.
Some varieties previously thought of as houseplants are now growing
successfully outside, while traditional British garden varieties struggle.
But scientists warn that lack of water in the future could threaten plants.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) predicts that wetter winters and
warmer, drier summers with greater variability in rainfall will produce
conditions favourable to some more exotic plants.
Our planet has warmed by 1.1C since the industrial revolution about 200
years ago, which scientists link to human-induced climate change. The UK
is warming slightly faster than the average pace of global temperature
increase, according to the Met Office.

IMAGE SOURCE,NEIL HEPWORTH

Image caption,
Sub-Tropicana at RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Harrogate
Gardens in the north of England are feeling the effects including Harlow Carr
in Harrogate which has had a sub-tropical garden since 2020.
The Royal Horticulture Society garden is curated by Russell Watkins who first
started working there 17 years ago. Back then, he grew plants standard to the
UK - a mix of hardy shrubs and perennials that live for many years.
 Where has a drought been declared, and what does it mean?
 Where are hosepipe bans in place and how can I save water?
"We have all pushed the boundaries of what we can grow", he says, pointing
to the huge tropical-looking foliage of the rice paper plant, saying "a few years
ago it wouldn't have survived".

IMAGE SOURCE,RICHARD BLOOM/RHS

Image caption,
Rice paper plant Tetrapanax papyrifer 'Rex'
Hardy bananas, various dahlias, and some species of ginger are increasingly
surviving winters, he says, and "thriving in the long spells of sunny weather
that we have had this year."
Higher temperatures are being felt further north than they used to be as a
result of human-induced climate change, according to Dr Mark McCarthy,
head of the Met Office National Climate Information Centre.

Climate change:
Avocados and
exotic plants
grow in hot UK
summer
By Ella Hambly
BBC News Climate and Science


Published

3 days ago


IMAGE
SOURCE,OLIVER DIXON/RHS
Image caption,
Pomegranate fruit at Royal
Horticulture Society garden at Wisely,
Surrey
Record-breaking hot and dry
weather this summer has seen
more exotic plants including figs
and avocadoes growing in the UK,
gardeners have told BBC News.
It's part of a trend of Mediterranean
and sub-tropical plants thriving in
recent years, they say.
Some varieties previously thought of
as houseplants are now growing
successfully outside, while traditional
British garden varieties struggle.
But scientists warn that lack of water
in the future could threaten plants.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
predicts that wetter winters and
warmer, drier summers with greater
variability in rainfall will produce
conditions favourable to some more
exotic plants.
Our planet has warmed by 1.1C since
the industrial revolution about 200
years ago, which scientists link to
human-induced climate change. The
UK is warming slightly faster than
the average pace of global
temperature increase, according to
the Met Office.

IMAGE
SOURCE,NEIL HEPWORTH
Image caption,
Sub-Tropicana at RHS Garden
Harlow Carr in Harrogate
Gardens in the north of England are
feeling the effects including Harlow
Carr in Harrogate which has had a
sub-tropical garden since 2020.
The Royal Horticulture Society
garden is curated by Russell Watkins
who first started working there 17
years ago. Back then, he grew plants
standard to the UK - a mix of hardy
shrubs and perennials that live for
many years.
Where has a drought been
declared, and what does it mean?
Where are hosepipe bans in place
and how can I save water?
"We have all pushed the boundaries
of what we can grow", he says,
pointing to the huge tropical-looking
foliage of the rice paper plant, saying
"a few years ago it wouldn't have
survived".

IMAGE
SOURCE,RICHARD BLOOM/RHS
Image caption,
Rice paper plant Tetrapanax papyrifer
'Rex'
Hardy bananas, various dahlias, and
some species of ginger are
increasingly surviving winters, he
says, and "thriving in the long spells
of sunny weather that we have had
this year."
Higher temperatures are being felt
further north than they used to be as
a result of human-induced climate
change, according to Dr Mark
McCarthy, head of the Met Office
National Climate Information Centre.