Yes, I really did just take this picture yesterday morning. Yes, it is November and yes it’s been below 30 degrees at night the past couple of nights. So why in the world is our pear tree full of blooms? We did have a string of cold days in October followed by warm, even hot days which I think it what did it. I can’t seem to find anything online that talks about what happens when fruit trees bloom in autumn. Will this mean that we won’t have much fruit next summer? Will it bloom again in spring? One snippet I found said that trees that are damaged during summer sometimes bloom in autumn, however we haven’t even so much as given the poor tree a sideways glance, let alone damage it. I suppose only time will tell. I’ll report again next spring on how our poor pear tree is doing.
Has anyone else had their fruit trees bloom in autumn?
Just for proof of frost, the next photo in my camera, after the pear tree shot was taken was this one. See? Frosty!
I hold off pruning my apple and quince trees until January to try to keep them from flowering in the fall, what with the warming temps we’ve seen the past several years. My narcissus came up in October — instead of the normal February sprouting. I live in Los Angeles, but 10-20 years ago we seemed to have real winters — trees lost their leaves and there was the occasional frost. No more.
We are in Fresno. I have a fruitless (Bradford pear) tree that had several beautiful full clusters of blossoms appear about a week ago. At first I thought I was seeing things. Also on our morning walk, while most trees are turning beautiful autumn colors and/or losing leaves, I noticed a lilac tree that had bloomed earlier this year at the normal time but now had at least 12 clusters of lilacs. They didn’t appear to be 100 % healthy but the were full and there were more than a few. While we haven’t had official frost yet, there has been frost on the roofs, etc. And it hasn’t been warm enough to stimulate flowering in my opinion. STRANGE THINGS are happening !!!!
Wow. I’ve never seen it myself. But it makes for a gorgeous photo. 😉
My precious new apricot tree bloomed about a week ago. The same variety in the same yard has nothing. I’m hoping they will still pollinate each other this spring!
Our apple trees, south of you, bloomed last year in November and I think the Anna apples are considering it this year. This year I’ll pull the blossoms, I think. They just didn’t do the trees any favors. The weather has them all confused.
I had an apple tree that flowered in late October once. This was in Maine and we hadn’t had a severe frost yet. The next season the tree bore very few apples, but it was an off year for that particular tree anyway, so I’m not sure if it would have borne more anyway. I asked my dad about this after I saw your post (he’s a biologist) and he told me it would probably bear less fruit next year, because making blossoms expends a lot of energy that the tree usually splits between blossoms and fruit production. Since it will have to put forth more blossoms in spring, it’s energy will be halved to produce fruit. Sorry
Thanks for the comment gardengala. What your dad says makes sense. Well, at least this is only our pear tree and not our apple tree. I won’t be as upset that we don’t have a bumper pear crop, but I’m always wishing for more apples.
I’m just catching up on some blog reading and had to comment on this gorgeous photo – gosh those pear flowers are beautiful I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a tree in bloom – had no idea they were so delicate and pretty.
For those interested, I have a pear tree that prouced fruit but there was always damage to the fruit. Then I read this on-line tip and tried it. Wrap plastic wrap around the lower trunk and slather it with vaseline. Keeps ants off. Since doing that I’ve had tons of incredibly delicious pears that I shared with a big swarm of friendly bees. P.S. I love gardengala’s name.
The same thing has happened to me with my bountiful apple tree. It has powdery mildew and I couldn’t find any fungicides suitable for fruit trees until now. All the leaves fell off and the young apples. It’s September, I live in London, England and my tree is starting to flower. I’m also worried it won’t flower next year. Can’t find any info online.
i live in london also, our medlar trees are all in blossom again – there is folklore about this phenomenon but i cant find it online, i’ll look in my books. i dont think it bodes well for next season! i wonder how the usual winter blossomers like the loquat will fare this year…?
Fairyflowers
September 26th 2011
To my disbelief yesterday I found my apple tree(s) that are of a grafted double fruit tree of two different varieties – one side has apples the other is in bloom!!
Thank You
I too was very disturbed to see my apple tree in France bearing fruit and blossom at the same time in September…I cant beleive this wont affect fruit production next year it isnt natural and I believe due to climate change
This is Sept 2012 and I have an apple tree with about 6 blossom on it. I have only lived in this house for about 18 months and didn’t pay touch attention to the two aple and 1 cherry in my front yard. In talking to a older friend he says it has something to do with grafting. The tree with the blossom seems to be bearing to different types of apple,s I hope to hear from you on your quest to solove the mystery of the late blooming fruit trees.
Our large Bramley south west side only 25 blossoms.Never seen this before.Now apple tree outside back door 1 blossom .I assume it is this warm weather we have been enjoying in the Chichester area this last month.Who knows??
My apple tree is 70 years old and is blossoming now – Sept 2012. We have lived here for 15 years and it has never done this before.
Where do you live? I have a 4 year old plumtree which started dblossoming last week, Sept 18 2012- N Atlanta GA, never seen anything like it? a friend said ^it’s your dogs letting you know they ares till with you* have you lost a dear one this year? interesting thought
I am looking at purchasing an orchard but it is sept and do to the exterme drought in our area the trees are budding a second time I have been told this could be a sign that the tree is dying I am woried about purchasing a dying orchard are my fears unfounded please help
I lived in Virginia for 10 years and my plum tree have never bloomed in October but I see buds on them and my gardenia for the first time this time of year.
I live in San Antonio, Texas and my pear tree had so many pears this year that I have filled a full size freezer with pies, breads and other pear recipes last month, and now, not only is it reblooming, but it’s also bearing fruit again. I hope it doesn’t mean it’s dying!
My pear tree is blooming in the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas area on October 10, 2013. It bore no pears this year. So, we’ll hope for the best next year.
My plum tree in South East England has blossoms again. Also this year my Wisteria produced a second crop of flowers after I ha pruned it in July. Very strange, last time the wisteria did this we had heavy snow in November but I’ve never seen the plum behave like that before!
wisteria will continue to bloom all summer and fall if it is pruned back to about4 bud but the pear tree blooming in autumn is weird shows the whole system of the planet is disrupted
My pear tree has beautiful flowers now, October, 15th in Somerset, UK. See what happens next year!
I am in Horseshoe Bay, Texas and we have 5 pear trees in a row, with four blooming now on November 17, but the middle tree is not blooming at all. Very peculiar
The ? is Why and what to do———-
Several extension services in the USA have info on this phenomenon. Fruit trees tend to bloom late summer/early fall due to “stress during the summer” like drought. Additionally, my mother who is 83 yrs old told me just now that she remembers this happening not every year, but many years she recalls it happening. She has trees that are now over 100 years old, and these pears trees had both a heavy crop this year and a few blooms within the last couple weeks (California). My apple tree has a heavy crop this year, I only was able to water it once this summer, and now today I found one spur full of blossoms on it. (Oregon)
Our pear tree is blossoming as well here in Alameda county, Ca. Will be interesting to see what if any effect this out of season blooming will have on next year’s fruit.
Michigan state university has a lengthy and illuminating article on this. Basically drought causes growth to stop and it restarts when rains arrive. Look up article for details.
April here in Australia after a very hot summer all of our ornamental pears are in full bloom when it it clearly time for them to be losing their leaves???
I will put it down to climate change.
I have enjoyed reading everyone’s comments
Thanks
I live in Scotland have a Pear tree starting to bloom 19th November did not bear any fruit this year . We had a lot of rain during the summer and a heavy frost about 3 weeks ago. Have never seen this before.