Nail your autumn colours to the mast

Bonanza year for acorns and berries

- By Chris Riches

Carpeted...acorn-filled borders at National Trust's Dunham Massey

A BUMPER crop of acorns this autumn is down to a “mast year”, say conservation charity staff.

The phenomenon, which happens roughly every four years, is a natural strategy where certain trees produce so many nuts and berries wildlife cannot eat the lot —so the species is sure to survive.

Ecologist Dr Andrew Hacket Pain of Liverpool University said it follows a mix of factors such as a warm dry spring, promoting the pollination of oak flowers.

Owen Phillips of the Woodland Trust said the output of fruits and nuts from some of the most recognisable trees such as oak and beech fluctuates annually.

But he added: "Every few years, some species of trees and shrubs produce a bumper crop.