Fruit season is fast approaching!

Last year was a fantastic year for fruits. All our fruiting species scored 3.5 or above, apart from hazel. Last year was a mast year for many of our species, with the highest scores on record for species such as blackthorn, oak and ivy. Fruit scores are an indicator of winter food availability for wildlife.

The effects of weather can impact the production of fruits. Fruiting species favour very specific conditions for successful pollination and fruit development. Warm, dry springs often see higher scores as there is optimal time for pollination. Late frosts can damage blossom, and unseasonable heatwaves can have negative impacts on fruit production.

We have had some very interesting weather through May. Early May had some below average temperatures and frosts around 5 May. The second half had record breaking heat! Weather and Climate summaries - Met Office Monitoring the fruit season with Nature’s Calendar helps us keep track of how changing conditions affect nature, and the data is often used in scientific studies to help monitor the climate.

Species you can report

Don't forget to do the squish test to ensure the fruit is ripe.

Bramble Rubus fruticosus agg

Fruits from mid-June until early September

These are widely distributed and commonly found in hedgerows and woodland. The leaves have 3-5 toothed leaflets; the stem is thorny. The bramble flowers from May in pink or white.  They start to produce blackberries, a compound fruit that is black or dark purple when ripe from late June early September.

Last year’s date of recording for first ripe: 22/06/2025

Rowan Sorbus aucuparia

Fruits from early July to mid-September

Rowans are widespread and often planted as a street tree. The leaves are compound with 5-9 pairs of toothed leaflets and a single leaf at the end. Flowers are seen from around May in clusters with five creamy white petals. The fruits are red-orange berries in clusters on the dense heads.

Last year’s date of recording for first ripe: 04/07/2025

Elder Sambucus nigra

Fruits from early August to mid-September

Widely distributed and common, growing in woodland, scrub and hedgerows. Appearance can be as a shrub or a small tree. The leaves are divided into 5-7 leaflets. Produces flowers in June/July. The flowers are flat topped in clusters, creamy white in colour and heavily scented. Elderberries are black-purple and hang in clusters.

Last year’s date of recording for first ripe: 18/07/2025

Blackthorn Prunus Spinosa

Fruits from early August to mid-October.

Common and widespread, often found in hedgerows. The leaves are oval with blunt toothed margins; the flowers have five white petals. The fruits, known as sloes, are purplish and resemble tiny plums.

Last year’s date of recording for first ripe: 21/07/2025

Beech Fagus sylvatica

Fruits from mid-July to mid-October

Beech is found on well drained chalky soils. The leaves are simple, pointed ovals with waved edges. The male flowers hang in clusters at the tips of twigs and the female flowers are paired on short stalks. The fruits are in spiny cases. We record when the beech nuts start to fall naturally.

Last year’s date of recording for first ripe: 18/07/2025

 Other species to keep an eye out for this summer

• Fly agaric: August – October
• Ivy: first flowering in August
• Swift: the last sighting as they migrate between July and September.

Get involved

Help us by recording your sightings. Download our 10103-natures-calendar-date-range-poster.pdf to help you keep track of species, events and the expected time range. Please note timings may be out of range depending on your location.