Leaves fall from stressed trees in August ‘false autumn’

Extreme conditions could prove fatal for some trees, expert warns

A view of parched Greenwich Park on 6 August (EPA/Neil Hall)

Despite it being only August, leaves have started falling in what experts term a “false autumn”, as heatwaves and drought push Britain’s trees into survival mode.

In events made more likely by climate breakdown, parts of the country have experienced the driest July since 1935, with extreme heat bringing record-breaking temperatures in excess of 40C.

Drought was declared in eight of 14 areas in England this week, as the impact of the parched and dried-out landscapes was felt by emergency responders battling grass fires and millions of households subject to water restrictions.

The stark conditions are also having an affect on the country’s trees, with one expert describing the early fall of auburn leaves as signs that stressed trees are “shutting up shop”.

“It’s giving the appearance that we’re already in autumn, but the days are too long for those natural autumn processes to begin,” Leigh Hunt, a senior horticultural advisor at the Royal Horticultural Society, told the BBC.

“Physiologically, the plants are not responding to autumn conditions; that’s why we term it loosely as ‘false autumn’.”

While established trees can rely upon their extensive network of roots to weather the heat and drought, their younger counterparts and those planted in less accomodating locations may not survive, Mr Hunt said.

Map shows location of hosepipe bans in England and Wales (PA Graphics)

He warned of a “critical point”, where the tree is unable to replenish its lost water and will “literally desiccate”.

Describing the tree damage as among the worst he has ever witnessed in Britain, he told the national broadcaster that, with enough rainfall, trees whose leaves have only just begun to turn yellow should be able to recover.

In a further twist to the seasons, he explained that a significant amount of rainfall could even prompt a “second spring”, in which trees experience a spurt of growth.

Similarly, the Woodland Trust told the BBC that it has received its earliest ever report – in June – of ripe blackberries in the south of England, with elder and holly also fruiting earlier than usual.

Fruits and nuts are ripening faster than ever, due in part to the extreme heat, the trust said, warning that this “can spell disaster” for the wildlife relying on them for food.