Freakishly Warm December Weather Causing Flowers to Bloom Early

As uncharacteristically warm weather on Christmas Day breaks records across the eastern portion of the United States, it’s bringing along other strange phenomenon: flowers are blooming way too early.

The New York Botanical Garden is seeing certain species of flora already pop up. “When you smell something that smells like spring now, that’s a little bit unexpected,” Brian Sullivan, the vice president for gardens, landscape and outdoor collections, told the New York Times. “It’s unusual to smell the fragrance of a viburnum in December.” The weather is basically causing the plants and flowers to spend their “budgets” earlier than usual. “The plant has been tricked into thinking it’s the next cycle, so it’s opening up those buds,” Sullivan explained.

The same thing is being witnessed in Massachusetts. Jason Goodall, a floral designer described to the Boston Globe how he picked berries off of the strawberry plant in his yard. “The lilacs are full of buds,” he added. “It’s as if we skipped ahead to April.” Insects are also getting confused. Carol Simpson told the Boston Globe she noticed bees swarming around blossom she had been photographing. “The squirrels, the bees, everything is freaked out by this,” Simpson said.

Maybe the effects of global warming means our seasons are going to be switched around and America will be celebrating Christmas in the summer like Australia does. There goes all of those ugly Christmas sweater parties.