Something's Off - Blooming Flowers Michigan

We're having unusually warm weather here in Michigan for January.

I started to notice small things happening that don't happen until early spring, and one of them is a small ground cover plant called Phlox. The flowers are starting to bloom already.

Now for people that don't know Michigan weather typically we are up to are asses in snow, and have extremely cold weather about now. January and February Fahrenheit temps are typcially between high 20's and many times sub zero.

Currently we are mid 50's and 40's.

So what is so strange about blooming Phlox?

It doesn't bloom until late April/early May in Michigan.

Here's a picture of an outside Phlox plant.

OMG!!!

I feel for you. We lost all our lilac flowers due to an early warming last year, and apple blossoms that got froze off two weeks later, so no fruit. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty happy we've been getting rain instead of butt loads of snow, but it'll cost us.

Didn't you guys up there lose the black cherry crop cause of this a few years back?

a reply to: Caver78

Yes Michigan got hit hard lately. We actually have a family farm with 2000 apple trees, in the thumb, and we lost our crop last year due to an early apple blossoms opening, then a freeze.

But this weather is not right, especially when plants are blooming 3 to 4 months early.

a reply to: Realtruth

A smile from me.

I was outside a little while ago noticing how some of the grass on the property is beginning to turn green here in Massachusetts and it's all of January 21st.

There's some phlox here so I'll have to go look at it in a bit.

We've had rain and temps in the 40's and 50's here in Western New York. I looked out the kitchen window this morning and noticed the grass is greening and starting to grow.

originally posted by: lonegurkha
We've had rain and temps in the 40's and 50's here in Western New York. I looked out the kitchen window this morning and noticed the grass is greening and starting to grow.

I'm in Staten Island, and on Wednesday there were bees flying around.

South Carolina's plants think it's Spring too. We've been in the high 60's - high 70's for two weeks. People are running around in shorts and flip-flops! Everything will start growing, then we'll get socked with an ice storm late February. Sigh. There goes the azaleas...

originally posted by: Lolliek
South Carolina's plants think it's Spring too. We've been in the high 60's - high 70's for two weeks. People are running around in shorts and flip-flops! Everything will start growing, then we'll get socked with an ice storm late February. Sigh. There goes the azaleas...

From Georgia- Wunnerfull , Wunnerfull aint it ?
Beware the Ides of March though...

Mid Michigander here..

Haven't noticed any flowers yet, but my yard is a swamp and my basement has flooded for the first time in 3 years... all this water has No where to go!

I agree it doesn't feel right. In glad to be outside in a t shirt today but it feels wrong.

My friend and family in the snow removal business I bumming for sure. As long as crops work out I don't really care. Good luck to your Orchard.. have you gotten into the cider business yet?

a reply to: Realtruth

a reply to: Realtruth

im glad to see someone else noticing ,i was born and raised in michigan and what you haved described is not only unusual but is happening here in the southeast as well. the whole year has been strange I have a rather large potted lemon tree and every inch is covered in blooms with lemons of various sizes still growing from last year...the tree blooms normally come in late march or early april.
I've noticed most of the trees and other plants producing far more than i have ever seen in my lifetime, for instance the neighbor has a hickory tree near my driveway it drops nuts every year so i have to park my car in the garage. last year there were so many nuts they completely covered my driveway and dropped far longer than normal, I wish I had taken pics cause it was an unbelievable site to behold.
I know for a fact that Michigan shouldn't see any blooms now, when I was living there it didnt get warm until May, I remember snowstorms in May! I'm stumped as to what is causing this to happen...

We usually have blizzards and severe cold here in January and February. The last few years we have had only one normal winter. Year before last we lost a good portion of the cherry crop.

I'm hoping that March won't come in like a lion. March often has severe ice storms, even with the warmer weather.

whoops double post

originally posted by: SteamyJeans
Good luck to your Orchard.. have you gotten into the cider business yet?

a reply to: Realtruth

Thanks

We only press for family these day's, but years ago we had a full scale commercial operation for cider nearly 3000 gallons a week, that was before they made everyone pasturize it. But it's ok to have juice bars that pasturize nothing? lol

Yea flooding is getting a bit ridiculous in parts of our country due to this strange weather. Good luck on staying safe and dry.

a reply to: Realtruth

Still waiting for winter here in Northern Virginia. We've had 3 or 4 cold days, in fact I'm still sleeping with the windows open. No flowers blooming yet though.

Yeah, I saw daffodils breaking ground....and the squirrels are running around acting like it's already spring as well.
We're due to have more seasonal weather around Thursday.....this January thaw has gone on long enough.

a reply to: Realtruth

Eh, I've seen stuff like this.

It's not as uncommon as you think. If you get a period of warm weather, the quick growing, early spring plants will start to develop. Then you get a late-season cold spell that snaps them off.

This time of year it's not at all unusual for this kind of period to occur, and with the recent strong El Nino, this degree of warmth is to be expected.

a reply to: Lolliek
Also here in SC, I noticed the Bluebirds pairing off and checking out the Bluebird houses I've got stationed around my farm. I live between three peach orchards and the owners have been heavily spraying the trees with some new chemical that retards the trees from blooming early. Haven't seen any daffodils, yet, usually they are the first indication of Spring.

All I will say is that you all better hope this is the false spring and that winter checks back in.

Last time spring came early, we had a brutal long and hot summer. That year, spring came about a month early. And I'm talking about true spring. All my perennials bloomed about a month a month and half earlier, and we had a string of days well over 100 degrees with a nasty drought that year.

I am voting for false spring.

originally posted by: DontTreadOnMe
Yeah, I saw daffodils breaking ground....and the squirrels are running around acting like it's already spring as well.
We're due to have more seasonal weather around Thursday.....this January thaw has gone on long enough.

That's the other thing too, the squirrels, but I figured I'd hold off, on the that comment, and let someone else look nuts with me (pun intended).