this post was submitted on 18 Dec 2025
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I took this picture this morning. Mid December in Belgium and it is definitely not normal. The following scenario rolled out in my head: what if all plants bloom in December, don't get pollinated, then when bees wake up there's no food, they are decimated. Wouldn't that be a huge biological collapse?

I'm no expert in anything, just wanted to share this picture and thoughts

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[–] PonyOfWar@pawb.social 50 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

Disregard my earlier comment, I believe this is a Prunus Subhirtella Autumnalis, or winter-flowering cherry. Normal for it to be flowering around this time, can even start as early as november.

[–] BeatTakeshi@lemmy.world 17 points 5 days ago

Well that's reassuring, thank you !

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 9 points 5 days ago (1 children)

So how does that work, does this tree just wait in full bloom for insects to wake up? (Not doubting what you're saying, genuinely curious)

[–] PonyOfWar@pawb.social 20 points 5 days ago (1 children)

They can sometimes have flowers as late as april, but usually they just don't get pollinated at all and don't produce any fruit. They're ornamental hybrids that don't exist in the wild, so they don't really need a viable way of reproduction.

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 7 points 5 days ago

Interesting, thank you for teaching me a thing!

[–] InvalidName2@lemmy.zip 8 points 5 days ago

what if all plants bloom in December, don’t get pollinated, then when bees wake up there’s no food, they are decimated. Wouldn’t that be a huge biological collapse?

The good news is, you don't have to worry about this scenario. For all practical purposes, it's a fictional boogeyman.

There will never be a case where all plants bloom in December. Full stop. So, I wouldn't worry too much about that scenario.

Generally speaking, flowering trees are not the only food sources available for bees in the cold seasons, or otherwise. Particularly if the discussion is geared towards the limited scope of honey bees. Perhaps on a hyper localized inner city block that's the case, but outside of that, no. European honey bees are perfectly happy to feed on sugary food items in trash cans, for example. And in much of the world, there are plenty of suitable cold season flowering plants. We might not notice them much, especially inside a city, but they're all over in many parts of the world.

Also, bees are not the only pollinators in much of the planet. There are a myriad wasps, beetles, flies, moths/butterflies, and so on that also actively pollinate flowers, even in cold seasons.

Honey bees in many parts of the world are active on days when the temperatures are actually quite cool. Doesn't need to be much warmer than 50F/10C, if there are honey bees in the area, they may be out foraging, even if trees are flowering out of season. Other pollinators, like flower flies, can be active at even lower temperatures.

Honestly, I could go on, but I suspect it's not strictly necessary. The summary is, the doomsday scenario you're asking about might be a possibility in a hyper localized setting (i.e. inner city block), but it's just not a thing that will ever happen on a wide enough scale to matter. That's not to say there aren't realistic scenarios where climate related biological collapse is a potential outcome, just that the scenario you described is not realistic.

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 9 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

That's just this one tree that is confused, probably because some gays walked past it being gay. It's the gays' fault. Also immigrants.

🪾/s

I'm scared shitless as well.

Edit: or maybe we're confused and this tree is supposed to bloom now, according to PonyOfWar. Hum.

[–] BeatTakeshi@lemmy.world 9 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

The whole street had these trees (probably 20 on each side), all were in full bloom. I posted this one because the lighting was better.


Also I disagree with you, I think each aborted fetus releases one gigajoule in the atmosphere.

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 6 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Well, the gays would've passed those trees too, obviously. Also you're right about the fetuses but that doesn't affect the climate lol how would that even work i am very smart

[–] BeigeAgenda@lemmy.ca 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Very smart but you don't know that both the gays and fetuses have their own weather dominator, smh.

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I shall include this into my worldview without a second thought.

[–] BeatTakeshi@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

You guys have a worldview?

[–] BeigeAgenda@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 days ago

The Deep State and The Lizard People hold frequent interventions about my worldview, but I won't let that stop me!

[–] FatVegan@leminal.space 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It snowed for 10 minutes last month, eat shit libtard.

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 3 points 5 days ago
[–] WanderWisley@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago

I live in Northern Nevada. We regularly get snow even in mild winters, this year though the temperature has not dropped below 60° and there are still spiders and little bugs and flies out and about. Most of the migratory birds and ducks in the area are still hanging around and I still have patches of green grass in my yard All of my brainwashed coworkers keep saying that the storm of the century will be here any minute any second to prove all of the climate change idiots wrong.

[–] Zoldyck@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Winter is the new spring. No but seriously: nature is going to be absolutely fine and it will sort itself out, humans on the other hand...

[–] MBech@feddit.dk 3 points 5 days ago

Well, humans and a shitload of other species, but evolution will go on.

[–] AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip 4 points 5 days ago

For a different reason, I am worried myself. In my corner of the world, birds ain't here for winter, but just earlier I saw some in the apartment complex I live in. There's no snow ( highly unusual ) and it is warm enough I can go outside with my goddamn fall jacket on without too much hassle. It's kinda terrifying since I've always lived through snowy, cold winters.