Autumn shades will vanish this year as heatwave turns leaves brown

Glorious autumn shades of red and yellow will vanish this year as summer heatwave turns tree leaves brown

• Autumn leaves’ colours will be duller this year due to the hot summer weather 
• National Trust says drought has meant many trees shed their leaves prematurely
• Muted display could become norm if climate change continues at current pace 

Their vibrant shades of red and yellow are one of the great joys of autumn.

But the leaves on the trees will be dull this year due to the hot summer weather.

The National Trust says the drought has meant many trees shed their leaves prematurely to conserve water and energy.

Leaves on the trees will be dull this Autumn due to the hot summer weather

The National Trust says the drought has meant many trees shed their leaves prematurely to conserve water and energy

And a more muted display could become the norm in the UK if climate change continues at its current pace, it added. Pamela Smith, from the charity, said: ‘It remains to be seen what the high temperatures could mean, but we may see more golden browns as a result.’

The charity has a target of planting 20 million trees across its properties by 2030. 

Tom Day, a ranger at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk, said: ‘It is important to redouble our efforts to achieve our goal as the new trees will absorb large amounts of CO2 as they grow.’

The charity has a target of planting 20 million trees across its properties by 2030

Mr Day said climate change could see trees turning into ‘veteran’ specimens – those that are scarred or damaged – much sooner than they otherwise would have.

He said an increasing number of young trees were likely to die without ever having borne any fruit.

‘Now more than ever, it is important to redouble our efforts to achieve our goal of planting 20 million trees by 2030, as the new trees will absorb large amounts of CO2 as they grow,’ Mr Day said.

‘This is a powerful tool in the fight against climate change and will help us combat the decline of our parklands.’

Luke Barley, trees and woodlands adviser for the charity, said: ‘We always aim to plan the right tree in the right place, but in the extreme heatwaves we’ve experienced this year, more trees than normal have died despite our hard work in identifying good locations.’

National Trust gardeners found that where they had used mulch to retain moisture, the saplings had fared better, as had those which have self-seeded

But Mr Barley said that National Trust gardeners found that where they had used mulch to retain moisture, the saplings had fared better, as had those which have self-seeded.

‘This is because when self-seeding they are establishing good root systems from germination – so have more built-in resilience in times of challenging conditions,’ he said.

‘These are the trees people can help us invest in, confident that they are more likely to thrive and get the care they need.’

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