Acorns

You might have noticed very early browning of leaves this year, as well as a premature blackberry bounty.

That’s partly because this heatwave-packed year has sparked sooner flowering and fruiting, and sadly, drought has left many trees stressed.

But if you’ve noticed far more acorns on your forest floor than you’re used to, there may be a different cause – it seems oaks are experiencing a “mast year”.

What is a “mast year” for oak trees?

Both oak and beech trees (which produce beech nuts) experience this phenomenon, the Woodland Trust explained.

“Mast” refers to all the........

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