Late bloomers in the lee

Hawthorn Dene, Durham Clocks askew as a wild rose with ripe hips still bears petals and the elder's blossom appears as birds strip its berries

There is something unsettling, finding a wild rose in bloom in November on a bare stemmed bush bearing ripe rose hips. We found this echo of summer in the lee of a hedge near the old limestone quarry, among the burnt umber and bistre shades of withered docks and grasses, and the crimson and blue-black fruits of hawthorn and sloe.

Generations of amateur botanists have taken part in annual winter wild flower hunts run by the Wild Flower Society, finding tenacious late bloomers like hogweed and yarrow in the darkest months. Such floral sightings used to excite just a little curiosity but lately awareness of the potential effects of climate change has brought speculation about the long-term biological implications of out-of-season flowering.

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