Daisies and dandelions among plants blooming in winter due to climate change

Hundreds of native plant species including daisies and dandelions have begun blooming during winter, in what scientists say is a “visible signal” of climate change affecting the UK.

An annual plant hunt conducted by the Met Office found that there was a significant relationship between warmer temperatures and increased plant flowering.

In what was described as “compelling evidence”, for every 1°C rise in temperature at a given location, an average of 2.5 additional plant species are observed in bloom.

A 2025 study recorded 310 native species in flower during the New Year period, which the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland say far exceeds the 10 species they would typically find for this time of year.

Last week, the Met Office said 2025 was likely to be the UK’s hottest year on record, with a lack of rainfall and persistent warm weather leaving the country vulnerable to droughts and wildfires through the spring and summer.

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Flowers and plants also included daisies and groundsel, with the figure rising to 646 if including non-native species. This includes Mexican Fleabane as well as White and Red Dead-nettles.

Kevin Walker, a scientist at BSBI, said it was a “visible signal” of climate change that people could see in their own gardens.

“This new analysis shows a very clear link between rising temperatures and impacts on our plant species,” said Walker. “This is yet further evidence that climate change is affecting our wildlife indiscriminately.”

Debbie Hemming, a vegetation expert at the Met Office, said it was “tangible evidence” that climate breakdown was directly influencing the world around us.

“These findings underscore how rising temperatures and increasing climate extreme events are shifting the natural cycles of our plants and wildlife,” she said.