The headline “Scots pine ‘could be wiped out by climate change’” appears to stem from a January 2026 article in The Telegraph where horticulturalists warned of potential extinction of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in the UK due to hotter, drier conditions stressing trees in southern England (e.g., Cambridge).
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From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
By Paul Homewood
h/t Ian Magness
God help us from the useless Telegraph!
The Scots pine could be wiped out in the UK by climate change, horticulturalists have warned.
The evergreen conifer, which can grow up to 120ft tall and live for 700 years, is the only pine native to the UK and can be found in the once extensive Caledonian forests of Scotland.
But Sally Petitt, the head of horticulture at Cambridge University Botanic Garden, has now warned that Scotland’s national tree is “suffering” in the rolling heatwaves and lack of rain.
Ms Petitt said: “Himalayan pines and Scots pines are suffering here. We have lost two mature Pinus wallichiana (Bhutan pine) in recent years, which we believe is due to lower rainfall and high temperatures.”
In 2025, the UK endured its driest spring in 132 years combined with the hottest summer since records began in 1884.
The Environment Agency has warned that even if England receives its full average winter rainfall, areas such as Cambridge will remain in drought conditions until early next year.
Horticulturalists at the 40-acre gardens have been modelling which trees and plants will be resilient to more extreme weather conditions in the UK.
Full story here.
So let’s get this straight. Scots pines are suffering in Cambridge, because it is too hot and dry. And that is supposed to mean they will die off in the Scottish Highlands, where it is much cooler and wetter?
Is this the best the Telegraph can manage?
For a start, Scotland has been getting wetter, not drier:
But more to the point is that the tree thrives in places where the climate is much drier and where summer are much hotter than in Scotland, including Siberia:
The USDA state:
Scotch pine is the most widely distributed pine in the world. It grows naturally from Scotland almost to the Pacific Ocean and from above the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia to the Mediterranean. Its altitudinal range is from sea level to about 2440 m (8,000 ft).
Climate
Scotch pine is adapted to a wide variety of climates as indicated by its extremely large natural range. It grows in areas with an annual precipitation exceeding 1780 mm (70 in) and in areas with an annual precipitation as little as 200 mm (8 in). Scotch pine survives in the Verkhoyansk Mountains of eastern Siberia where winter temperatures have been recorded as low as -64° C (-83° F). In some areas it grows where the subsoil is permanently frozen. Scotch pine can also survive high temperatures, and it is found at middle altitudes in the Mediterranean region. The primary distribution of Scotch pine, however, indicates that it is a tree of the continental climates (18).
https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_1/pinus/sylvestris.htm
On fertile soils, the Scots pine tends to be squeezed out by other trees. According to Wikipedia, the pine formed much of the Caledonian Forest, which once covered much of the Scottish Highlands. Overcutting for timber demand, fire, overgrazing by sheep and deer, and even deliberate clearance to deter wolves have all been factors in the decline of this once great pine and birch forest. Only comparatively small areas remain.
But why ignore the facts, when you can write another silly climate scare story?
Meanwhile, I am sure Cambridge Botanical Gardens will be on the receiving end of nice fat grants to keep peddling the scare!
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