‘False autumn’: stressed trees drop leaves early after scorching English summer
Extreme summer heat and drought in the UK have caused trees like birches and beeches to shed their leaves prematurely, a phenomenon known as 'false autumn.' Experts warn that this stress is a visible indicator of how the climate crisis is disrupting seasonal cycles.
Why it matters
It provides a tangible, observable example of how climate change is altering natural ecosystems and seasonal patterns in real-time.
A birch tree in Wisley garden, Surrey. The white branches would normally be covered in yellow leaves in mid-October. A birch tree in Wisley garden, Surrey. The white branches would normally be covered in yellow leaves in mid-October. Autumn ‘False autumn’: stressed trees drop leaves early after scorching English summer Season will be less vibrant with trees such as birches, which usually offer a striking burst of yellow leaves, already bare
Prefer the Guardian on Google Among a canvas of copper, red and purple autumn leaves on display at Wisley garden in Surrey , south-east England, one tree stands conspicuously naked.
“The birch has lost all its leaves,” says Guy Barter, the chief horticulturist at the Royal Horticultural Society. “That’s the effect of drought, so it’ll have no autumn colour this year.”
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