Article URL: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg8edqq5g5o Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48968063 Points: 82 # Comments: 62

Could bananas be common in British gardens soon? Warmer summers and milder winters might mean new fruits appearing, while we say goodbye to some old favourites. Peter and Emma Stav, tropical plant enthusiasts from Rayleigh in Essex, were astonished to see fruit finally grow on their collection of 200 banana plants after 15 years. Peter, a 38-year-old school teacher, said: "I'm just absolutely amazed that it's happened." Guy Barter from The Royal Horticultural Society said "heat-loving plants" such as olives, figs and apricots are excelling more, while traditional British crops like gooseberries and rhubarb are on the decline in some areas. The chief horticulturist said: "The climate is getting warmer and bananas never used to flower 20 years ago. It would be a red letter day when the banana flowers." The Musa Basjoo banana has always been famous for being able to survive UK winters, but the flower often needs protection from frost. The Stavs have built walls around their plants to trap heat and create a "microclimate effect" for the colder winter weather. Peter said: "Over the past couple of winters I haven't wrapped them up because they're nearly 3m (10ft) tall so it's very difficult to wrap them. This year due to the heatwave, the plant's actually fruited.