Residents of two villages in the North Kazakhstan Region have witnessed an unusual natural phenomenon — lilacs burst into bloom in late September, reports infohub.kz.
Lilac season normally begins in mid-April and runs through May — a time many associate with the start of new life. But this year, spring arrived in northern Kazakhstan in September as well. The reason: lilac bushes unexpectedly blossomed in the villages of Presnoredut and Svetloye. The villagers were astonished beyond words.
"We didn't notice at first, but then we were out walking with the children and looked up — and there it was, blooming away. Then we walked around, and it's blooming at many houses. It's beautiful, at least!" said Aleksandra Kudrenko, a resident of Presnoredut.
Blooming lilacs can reportedly be seen in almost every yard in the villages.
"This year it's blooming just amazingly. And such big flowers, big clusters. The currants have swollen up a lot too. We don't know what will happen in spring," said Lyubov Mulyar, a resident of Svetloye.
According to specialists, from a scientific standpoint it's simple: the weather fooled the shrubs. The reblooming was driven primarily by prolonged warm weather.
"Lilacs come from Persia, where the climate is warmer, and in spring, when they bloom, flower buds form later. But if the summer is dry and then there's a sharp cold snap in autumn, the buds get confused and start to bloom. Today this is explained simply as stress," explained Artur Ryazapov, director of the Botanical Garden.
No one in the north was expecting an autumn like this. Nature seemed to decide to delight residents before the cold set in.