City trees are budding six days earlier than their rural counterparts, according to new research
City trees are budding earlier than their rural counterparts due to hotter temperatures and artificial light, according to new research published in the journal Science. As reported by NPR, study author Lin Meng collected satellite data from 85 U.S. cities from 2001 to 2014, revealing a startling pattern: City trees turn green six days earlier compared to trees in rural areas. Blame urban “heat islands” and the omnipresence of streetlights, billboards, and vehicle headlights, which act as a kind of extended daylight that triggers earlier spring greening. The phenomenon could have serious implications for plant-pollinator relationships, make plants more susceptible to spring frost, and lead to longer allergy and mosquito seasons. It also promises to wreak havoc on regional spring festivals devoted to flower blooms, which may need to be scheduled to coincide with the premature greening. —Patricia I. Escárcega
