This summer’s record-breaking heat and dryness have resulted in the growth of exotic plants such as figs and avocados.
It is part of a recent trend of Mediterranean and subtropical flora flourishing, they add.
Some types that were once considered houseplants now thrive outside, while typical British garden variety struggle.
However, scientists worry that future water shortages could harm plant life.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) expects that wetter winters, warmer, drier summers, and higher rainfall unpredictability will create favorable circumstances for some exotic plant species.
Since the industrial revolution over 200 years ago, our world has warmed by 1.1C, which experts attribute to human-induced climate change. The United Kingdom is warming somewhat faster than the worldwide average, according to the Met Office.
Gardens in northern England, such as Harlow Carr in Harrogate, which has had a subtropical garden since 2020, are experiencing the effects.
Russell Watkins, who has worked at the Royal Horticulture Society for the past 17 years, is the garden’s curator. Back then, he grew plants typical of the United Kingdom, a mixture of hardy shrubs and long-lived perennials.
“We have all pushed the limits of what we can grow,” he adds, pointing to the enormous, tropical-appearing leaves of the rice paper plant, and adding, “a few years ago, this plant would not have lived.”
According to him, more hardy bananas, dahlias, and ginger species are surviving winters and “thriving in the long periods of bright weather we’ve had this year.”
According to Dr. Mark McCarthy, the head of the Met Office’s National Climate Information Service, human-caused climate change is causing temperatures to rise further north than they used to.
Chris Bower, a window cleaner in East Anglia, cultivates subtropical plants as a pastime and has successfully cultivated watermelons and figs. This year, he is particularly pleased with his harvest of jujube or Chinese dates, persimmons, and yuzu, a citrus fruit.
As climate change continues, he tells, it becomes simpler to cultivate non-native types.
Experience has allowed him to explore more, while East Anglia’s arid climate compels him to cultivate plants that require less water.
While in cities, the heat island effect (in which a metropolis experiences significantly greater temperatures than neighboring rural areas due to infrastructure) is promoting the growth of exotic fruits.
James Wong, a botanist at Kew Gardens, has discovered avocados growing in London.
He argues that some are the result of rejected seeds that have since germinated and emphasizes that they are more resilient than most people believe.
“The largest London avocados have endured temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius for brief periods in 2018, especially during the ‘beast from the east storm,” he continues.
Some groups, notably diaspora populations, have tried for many years to cultivate subtropical and exotic fruits and vegetables.
Haringey’s Black Rootz, a black-led agricultural project in north London, cultivates sweet potatoes, exotic squashes, and tomatillos.
Paulette Henry, the co-founder of the organization, has been cultivating these vegetables for decades, but recently warmer summers have improved their production.
However, scientists warn that a repeat of this year’s hot, dry summers will have a severe influence on crops, as all plants require water for growth and establishment.
Chris Atkinson, a plant scientist from the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Greenwich, adds, “Long summers may be first welcomed with open arms in the United Kingdom, and present an exciting chance for cultivating new exotic food crops.”
However, he cautions that water constraints hinder the cultivation of all types of plants.
