UK — The Royal Horticultural Society reports that this year's weather conditions have led to earlier ripening, increased sweetness, and greater abundance in strawberry crops. Gardeners have also increased their purchases of berry plants, with sales of 9cm strawberry pots rising by 240%.

Weather conditions have encouraged smaller, sweeter, and more bountiful strawberry crops in gardens. The flowering pattern of strawberry plants, which flower before they fully leaf, protected them from late frosts in May while allowing exposure to June sunlight. Raspberries, gooseberries, redcurrants, and whitecurrants have also experienced similar effects from the weather. The Royal Horticultural Society anticipates that blackberries and blueberries will follow suit later in the summer.

Sales of all fruit plants have increased by 25% compared to last year. Gardeners have been experimenting with unusual breeds of berries, with honeyberries proving particularly popular. Honeyberries are elongated blue fruits described as tasting like a mix of blackberries and blueberries. Wineberry, an Asian breed of raspberry with shiny orange-red berries and a sherbet taste, is also increasingly common in gardens, and translucent pink currants are selling well.

Guy Barter, chief horticulturist adviser for the Royal Horticultural Society, stated, "With a changing climate, gardeners are more confident in the potential of a strong crop and seeking out more unusual varieties including wineberries, honeyberries and pinkcurrants." The Royal Horticultural Society also stated that grapes should ripen earlier than usual due to June weather.

Royal Horticultural Society gardens are currently producing abundant fruit, including figs. The fig plantation at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey was moved outdoors in 2024 after being grown under glass. This plantation is now bearing fruit. The previous fig plantation at RHS Garden Wisley was lost to conditions in the 1980s.

Wild strawberries will be featured at a flower show within the Ruskin Mill Trust's artisan woodland craft garden, designed by Simon Deeves. Wild strawberry is a native British plant that was once the primary type eaten in Britain. The Tudors and Stuarts gathered these berries from the wild and cultivated them in their gardens, though they were not commercially viable. The garden strawberry that is commonly consumed today is a hybrid of two American varieties. In 1822, the Royal Horticultural Society launched a project to identify strawberry varieties in members' gardens, seeking the plumpest and juiciest options. This project contributed to the development of the fruit eaten today.

Why It Matters

Favorable weather conditions have led to a large increase in strawberry yields and sweetness, alongside a substantial rise in berry plant sales for gardeners. This trend extends to other berries and fruits like grapes and figs, indicating broader horticultural impacts. The Royal Horticultural Society's observations show how climate variations can influence fruit production, encouraging gardeners to try new varieties and adapt cultivation practices.