Red Dead-nettle seems to have had an unusually good spring. Why is that? More...

Red Dead-nettle, Lamium purpureum, is a common plant on cultivated and waste land, including road verges. In 2023, it seems to have flowered much more abundantly. This year we have had a very dry winter, with the driest February in 30 years for England. This was followed by over twice the average rainfall in March (and April so far!). And of course this follows on from the record-breaking heatwave and drought of 2022. We know that Leicestershire and Rutland are experiencing more extreme weather than in the past but what does this mean? There are definite winners and losers. Many once scarce thermophilic plants and insects are increasing and expanding. On the other hand, moisture-loving species are becoming less abundant. Climate events change the competitive balance in grass swards. This year Red Dead-nettle seems to have benefited - has the last year's weather has helped it germinate, or did it limited the competition? But where there are winners there are also losers, and it is far harder to document what species are struggling.