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Experts say Britain’s developing gardens could see an increase in fig and almond trees due to a lack of damaging frosts.
Warmer weather due to climate change means plants accustomed to warmer climates have fared well, the Royal Horticultural Society said.
The charity is having to experiment with garden design and planting more than ever to cope with extreme weather conditions.
This year has been exceptionally wet, while future years could bring drought.
Plans for its five gardens stretching from Devon to Yorkshire include planting outliers outdoors and building more “rain gardens” to channel rainwater into the soil where it can be stored.
Mediterranean almond trees that were planted at their Wisley site in Surrey several years ago have fruited well for the first time due to the lack of frost.
Figs, which generally do not adapt well to the UK’s temperate, wet climate, have been planted for the first time outside RHS’s Hyde Corridor site in Essex.
Figs, which generally do not adapt well to the UK’s temperate, wet climate, were first planted outside the RHS’s Hyde Corridor site in Essex (file image)
Mediterranean almond trees that were planted at their Wisley site in Surrey several years ago have borne good fruit for the first time due to the lack of frost (file image)
RHS garden Wisley in Surrey
Experts say Britain’s developing gardens could see an increase in fig and almond trees due to lack of damaging frost (file image)
They have also planted cacti in the driest areas of the garden and new climate-resistant rose bushes are planned for the next few years.
Met Workplace data reveals that in the most recent decade, 2011 to 2020, there were 16 percent fewer air frost days and 14 percent fewer ground frost days compared to the average for 1981-2010.
Record-breaking rainfall and flooding also occurred in 2024.
Tim Upson, Director of Horticulture at the RHS, said: ‘For gardeners, 2024 was characterized by water – too much water, not too little, as has been the case in previous years.
“While many woody plants flourished in cooler, wetter conditions and grew quickly, the more heat-loving plants that had experienced consecutive boom years were much less floriferous.
‘As we navigate these climate extremes, the RHS is prepared for some plant losses. The important thing is that we do not replace similar products, but that we continually build our knowledge so that what we plant next is more likely to survive the climatic contradictions we will see.’
