Why autumn colour displays could be a 'mixed bag' after wet year

Gardeners and rangers preparing for a "mixed bag" of autumnal displays thanks to this year's cool and wet conditions, a charity has warned.

Trees are hanging on to their leaves for longer across the land cared for by the National Trust in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It comes after the UK as a whole experienced a volatile year of weather with wetter spring and cooler summer compared with the average.

Environmental factors affect when deciduous trees and shrubs start to turn colour and shed leaves in autumn - with sunny days and cool nights making for the most colourful displays.

The leaves in Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire begin to turn golden as autumn sets in | Tom Maddick / SWNS

The National Trust said hopes remain for a dazzling colour display as the trees keep their leaves for longer because of this year's conditions.

But the charity said one of the consequences of autumn taking longer to develop and trees holding on to their leaves for longer is the additional threat of damage from storms, such as that caused by felled trees on roads and paths where plantation is blown over.

The conservation charity said it is therefore watching the weather closely to see how autumn colour might unfold amid concerns about the impact of the frequent stormy conditions.

Pamela Smith, senior national consultant for gardens and parklands at the National Trust said: "As the predictability of weather patterns continues to alter due to a changing climate, the timings of a traditional autumn with its colourful canopy displays become less certain.

"We've seen a real mixed bag of conditions so far this year - particularly the soggy start, but if we see a gradual drop in temperature along with more settled weather, we could expect to see a drawn-out display.

"However, if we get sharp, hard frosts or see further wet weather with storms, heavy rain and wind roll across the UK, that may cut any extended show short."

A blanket of bluebells near their peak at the National Trust's Basildon Park near Goring-on-Thames in Berkshire | PA

Luke Barley, the National Trust's senior national consultant for trees and woodland, said: "In our management of both woods and ancient trees, we are worried about the impact of experiencing more storms when the trees are in leaf and catch the wind more, potentially causing more damage than these important habitats and trees can sustain.

"The past year has seen the most named storms since the naming system began in 2015, and the impact of this increase in severe weather events is unavoidable forNational Trustforesters and woodland managers.

"The constant alternation between extreme waterlogging and drought in the soil stresses trees, and we see the signs of this effect on their rooting environment everywhere in reduced health in their crowns."

However, Mr Barley added that storm damage in native woods is a "natural process" and can create "some of the chaotic, thrilling dynamism that much woodland wildlife needs to survive".

Elsewhere this year, the conservation charity warned that weather conditions have proved troubling for traditional autumn vegetable harvests.

To mitigate the growing challenges, arborists at someNational Trust estates, such as Chirk Castle near Wrexham, have been carrying out conservation pruning on vulnerable veteran and ancient trees to reduce carefully their crown and make them less likely to fall or break in higher winds.