Avocados and Exotic Plants Thrive in the Scorching Summers of the United Kingdom Due to Climate Change

This summer's record-breaking heat and dryness have allowed more exotic plants, like figs and avocados, to flourish in the UK.

They claimed that it fits into a current trend of Mediterranean and subtropical flora flourishing.

Avocados and exotic plants flourish in Hot summer in the UK

(Photo : Gil Ndjouwou/Unsplash)

According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), something more exotic plants will thrive in climates with wetter winters, warmer, drier summers, and greater erratic rainfall, as per BBC News.

Scientists attributed the 1.1C global warming that has occurred since the industrial revolution roughly 200 years ago to human-caused climate change.

Based on the Met Office, the UK is warming a little more quickly than the average rate of global temperature rise.

Russell Watkins, who began working there 17 years ago, is the curator of the Royal Horticulture Society garden.

He grew perennial plants that last for many years back then, along with a variety of hardy shrubs that are typical of the UK.

He claimed that resilient plants are thriving in the long spells of bright weather that we have experienced this year, including hardy bananas, various dahlias, and some varieties of ginger.

According to Dr. Mark McCarthy, director of the Met Office National Climate Information Centre, higher temperatures are now felt farther north than they previously did because of human-caused climate change.

Window cleaner Chris Bower, who lives in East Anglia further south, cultivates sub-tropical plants as a pastime and has had success growing watermelons and figs.

He has indeed been able to experiment more as he has gained experience, and because of East Anglia's drier environment, he now sought to grow plants that use less water.

Exotic fruit is growing more rapidly in cities because of the heat island effect, whereby a city experiences substantially greater temperatures than neighboring rural areas as a result of the infrastructure.

James Wong, a botanist with Kew Gardens, discovered avocado trees in London.

He emphasized that they are more resilient than many people realize and that some of them are from abandoned seeds that have now blossomed.

Growing subtropical and exotic fruits and vegetables have long been a goal for some people, particularly in diaspora communities.

But experts are also cautioning that crops may suffer if hot, dry summers like the one we've had this year continue, as all plants require water to develop themselves and flourish.

Also Read: This Greenhouse Could Grow Food in the Desert With Just Seawater, Sunlight

Ways to keep plants alive during the summer heat

Due to an unexpected heatwave, a lot of us have lost harvests or even entire plants.

Here are some ways to keep your plants alive while beating the summer heat, as per Happy Sprout.

Watering plants thoroughly directly next to the roots may be the difference between life and death. This lowers the possibility of water evaporating before the plant does have a chance to absorb it and gives the plant a reserve of water to soak up.

Mulching your entire garden will shield the soil from the sweltering sun. Mulch also lowers the quantity of soil moisture evaporation.

Avoid getting water on your plants' leaves no matter what time of day you water. Burns and illnesses can be brought on by water droplets on leaves.

Protecting your priceless plants from the sun can be done quite well by using umbrellas or shade clothing. Leaves that have been harmed shouldn't be removed. They shield neighboring leaves from additional harm and may still contain essential nutrients the plant can need.

During periods of extreme heat, avoid fertilizing your plants. Fertilizers made from manure, fish, and blood include salts that can further stress and burn the roots of plants.