Species such as daisies and dandelions are typically associated with spring, emerging only after frost has eased and temperatures begin to climb. Their presence in mid-winter points to a deeper shift in environmental conditions, driven by rising global temperatures and increasingly erratic weather patterns.
With the planet now around 1.4°C warmer than in preindustrial times, researchers warn that even small temperature increases can have outsized effects on plant life. After a year marked by extreme weather, Britain's national forecasters described changes in flowering patterns as a "visible signal" of climate stress affecting ecosystems.
How warming alters plant cycles
Much of the recent data comes from the New Year Plant Hunt, an annual citizen science survey coordinated by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. The project has tracked winter flowering trends across the UK for more than a decade.
This year's results were striking. Surveyors recorded 310 native plant species in flower — far above the roughly 10 species normally expected in January.
Alongside familiar wildflowers such as daisies, dandelions and groundsel, observers also noted non-native species including Mexican fleabane and red dead-nettle. The data suggest a strong link between warmer early-winter temperatures and increased winter flowering: for every 1°C rise in average temperatures during November and December, researchers observed around 2.5 additional species flowering over the New Year period.
A visible sign of climate extremes
Kevin Walker, head of science at the BSBI, says the findings reflect how climate change is affecting wildlife across the board.
"This is no longer subtle," he said. "It's a signal people can see in their own neighbourhoods — a clear indication that climate change is reshaping the natural world."
Climate scientists echo that concern. Dr Debbie Hemming, who studies the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, says the results highlight how increasing climate variability is shifting long-established biological cycles.
"This is tangible evidence that climate change is directly influencing plants and wildlife," she said. "The timing of natural events is being pushed out of alignment."
Temperature data reinforce the trend. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2025 is almost certain to rank among the hottest years on record globally. Early assessments suggest it will finish close to 2023 levels, though below the record-breaking heat of 2024.
Bloom disruption beyond the UK
The phenomenon is not confined to Britain. While recent surveys focused on UK flora, new research published in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology suggests similar disruptions are emerging across the Mediterranean and parts of Central Europe.
The study warns that although warmer conditions can bring earlier spring flowering, they may also reduce the amount of winter chill that many plants require. Without sufficient cold periods, flowering can be delayed — or fail altogether.
Over the coming decades, researchers predict that fruit trees such as apple, almond and pistachio in southern Spain, Morocco and Tunisia may increasingly experience delayed or failed blooms. In contrast, parts of Central Europe could see earlier flowering of apple, pear, plum and sweet cherry trees, increasing vulnerability to late frosts.
An early signal of wider risks
Scientists caution that altered flowering times can ripple through ecosystems, affecting pollinators, food availability and crop yields. What appears as an isolated seasonal anomaly may, over time, undermine biodiversity and agricultural stability.
The early wildflowers of winter may brighten grey landscapes, but researchers say they should be read less as a curiosity and more as an early warning — one that signals how rapidly climate change is rewriting the natural calendar.