Gardens at risk from ‘game-changing’ bug

A “GAME-CHANGING” disease which could blight plants from lavender to cherry trees may spread to the UK from North and South America via mainland Europe, experts have warned.

The bacterial pest xylella fastidiosa, which restricts water movement in plants causing their eventual death, has caused widespread problems on the continent, wiping out entire groves of ancient olive trees in Italy.

Horticulturists from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said it could arrive in the UK on imported plants, threatening traditional British gardens.

Unlike most pests and diseases which target specific plants, Xylella can hit more than 350 different types of plant, with garden favourites such as lavender, hebe, rosemary and flowering cherry at high risk.

Gardeners and the horticulture industry should “futureproof” gardens by purchasing plants that are UK-sourced and grown, maintaining varied planting in gardens and report potential cases of the disease to Defra.

The European Commission approved greater protections against the spread of xylella, after Environment Secretary Michael Gove urged Brussels to bring in tougher measures.

But RHS head of plant health Gerard Clover warned it was probably only a matter of time before it spreads to the UK. “Xylella is a game-changer for gardeners and the horticultural industry and it is vital that we understand its potential impact,” he said.

A Defra spokesman said the threat that diseases such as xylella posed was a “very real and growing concern”.