The Prince of Wales has issued a stark warning about the threat to Britain’s native plants and trees from foreign pests and diseases, saying he fears a “wasteland”.
Speaking on the BBC2 show Gardeners’ World, he called on those buying plants to ask garden centres about their bio-security policy and where their stock was sourced.
And he urged plant nurseries to “react quicker in terms of quarantining” to stop the spread of threats from abroad.
Biosecurity is a hot topic at the moment which The Prince of Wales feels very strongly about. On #GardenersWorld tonight, Adam Frost meets up with His Royal Highness at @HighgroveGarden to find out more. See you at 8.00pm on @BBCTwo pic.twitter.com/gI3g6GYw7J
— BBC Gardeners World (@GWandShows) July 18, 2018
The heir to the throne was interviewed for the show earlier in the year on his Highgrove Estate in Gloucestershire, where he has established a garden.
Charles told one of the show’s presenters, Adam Frost: “I remember Dutch Elm disease all those years ago and that was totally devastating here in Gloucestershire…”
He went on to say: “And now of course we’re faced by a multitude of threats of every kind of disease.”
He added: “The biggest fear is that we end up with a wasteland here. Having seen more and more of these pests, particularly from the Far East coming…”
The prince went on to say: “I don’t think people realise just how dangerous it is, unless you know that where you’re getting your plants from has a proper bio-security policy in place.”
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