Blossoms in Cornwall appearing weeks early due to 'rapidly changing climate'

• ITV News' Jacquie Bird has been speaking to gardeners in Devon and Cornwall about the beautiful blossoms.

Magnolias and flowering trees at several National Trust sites in Cornwall are blossoming earlier than usual because of a 'rapidly changing climate,' the National Trust has said.

It's expected that if there isn't a cold snap, the country could see a longer blossom season, followed by a bumper fruit harvest.

Magnolias at the National Trust’s Glendurgan, Cornwall, have reached their peak four weeks ahead of last year.

At Trengwainton Garden, the first of its 39 varieties of magnolia is laden with blooms far earlier than normal.

And at Trelissick, the Cornish red rhododendrons are in full bloom after starting to flower in November, trust gardeners have said.

Andy Jasper, director of gardens and parklands at the National Trust has said the display is spectacular for the beginning of March, but the sight should also be a cause for concern.

“It certainly brings welcome cheer – but these blooms are also a very visual sign of how our seasons are shifting, and the consequences of a rapidly changing climate, especially over the last decade," he said.

"The dry start to the year was followed by the prolonged period of largely wet and mild weather for many areas of the country. Trees and plants haven’t really stopped growing or had a particularly long period of shutdown”.

“As long as we don’t now experience any prolonged sharp dip in temperatures, we should be able to look forward to a very drawn-out blossom season with ripples of blossom spreading across the country, from the South West and Wales through to Northern Ireland, North East England and Scotland, followed by a bumper year for fruit harvests.”

The National Trust is gearing up for its annual campaign encouraging people to share the joy of blossom and says more typical blooms for this time of year including white blackthorn were also starting to put on a show.