SPRING has unofficially arrived according to an ancient folklore — after 50 blooms appeared on old magnolia trees.

The blooming of six magnolia trees at the Great Gardens of Cornwall have heralded the end of winter in local folklore for more than a century.

The plants are currently sporting 50 blooms which is said to mean that spring has arrived in the county - several weeks ahead of the rest of the UK.

Cornwall has always enjoyed spring before the rest of the UK due to its milder climate - and the earliest flowering magnolia campbellii was recorded in 2015 on January 21.

Cornwall’s ‘Spring Story’ was founded by Toby Ashworth, proprietor of The Nare, in partnership with the Great Gardens of Cornwall in 2012.

He said: "Yet again, we are delighted to declare the arrival of spring in Cornwall in February.

"Over the last 13 years we have observed this pattern, with the magnolia campbellii consistently flowering between Valentine’s Day and the first week in March.

"I am also told by our reliable sources at Tremap that the Cornish magnolias are flowering earlier than their cousins in the Himalayas.”

This year, the declaration was made at Trewithen Estate, home of the champion magnolia with Sam Galsworthy, owner of Trewithen Estate and current High Sheriff of Cornwall.

The six champion magnolia campbellii trees are located within Cornwall’s Great Gardens of Tregothnan, Caerhays, Trebah, Trewidden, Trewithen, and The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Every year, each head gardener closely monitors the buds of each tree.

Once all six prized magnolia trees have bloomed with at least 50 buds, this signals the start of spring.

Jonathon Jones OBE, managing director of Tregothnan and founder of Tremap, added: “We can happily confirm that Cornwall has beaten India to declare spring! The audit of all campbellii is ongoing and we are surprised (or rather, alarmed) at how scarce they appear to be. Cornwall’s Spring Story is helpful to raise awareness and find magnolia spotters across the northern hemisphere.”