Whew; there have been plenty of tractor loads of water containers going out over the past few weeks. We are just about holding our own…., even though there hasn’t been any summer rain the nights have been much cooler and mercifully it hasn’t been windy recently. We are definitely not used to these extended dry spells in Cornwall and aren’t particularly well geared up to cope when they come along. The last major drought was in 1976 and that year has gone into folklore as the driest Summer on record in the UK >> 50 years ago…..This year will be comparable.
Staying with plants in the garden here, the family Fagaceae are remarkably resilient in times of water shortage. They have a large seed/acorn which provides energy for establishing an initial deep rooting system, anchoring the seedling in times of stress. Many species in the oak family come from dry zones. The Lithocarps though are concentrated in the Monsoon areas of SE Asia but still retain resilience, by using their tough sclerophyllous foliage to limit transpiration in a dry season such as 2026. These images of Lithocarpus kawakamii show a thriving tree, flowering happily and setting fruit in the hottest of seasons we can manage; even though they originate from the wet and warm temperate zones in Taiwan. These immature fruit in the lower image form acorn sticks on a rachis over 20cm in length and are quite a curiosity when seen for the first time.
