This is reproduced from the Forestry Commission website to increase people's awareness of this serious disease.
Phytophthora pluvialis, is a fungus-like pathogen known to affect a variety of trees including western hemlock, tanoak, pine (Pinus radiata, Pinus patula and Pinus strobus) and Douglas-fir. It was originally reported in Oregon, USA in 2013 on tanoak and Douglas fir and was subsequently identified as the pathogen responsible for ’red needle cast’ of radiata pine in New Zealand.
Phytophthora pluvialis was discovered in a woodland in Cornwall in September 2021, where it was found to be affecting mature western hemlock and Douglas-fir trees. Following extensive surveillance, further outbreaks have been found in Cornwall, Devon, Cumbria, Surrey, Shropshire and at multiple sites in Scotland and Wales. For further information on the Scotland finding and management approach, please visit the Scottish Forestry website. For further information on the findings in Wales, please visit the Welsh Government website.
Symptoms
Phytophthora pluvialis is known to cause needle cast, shoot dieback, and lesions on the stem, branches, and roots.
Read the symptom guide (PDF, 3.52 MB, 8 pages) which illustrates some of the symptomatic trees from which Phytophthora pluvialis has been detected in the UK.
Reporting Sightings
Please remain vigilant for signs of Phytophthora pluvialis. If you think you have spotted signs of this disease anywhere in Great Britain then please tell us using TreeAlert.
Report suspected sightings in Northern Ireland using Treecheck, the all-Ireland tree pest reporting tool.
The Plant Health (Phytophthora pluvialis) Demarcated Area Notices
A risk assessment has been done by the UK Plant Health Risk Group, which has concluded that Phytophthora pluvialis meets the criteria to be classified as a GB quarantine pest for regulatory purposes. A Pest Risk Analysis was also completed in October 2022 following public consultation. To protect England against this disease, under powers conferred by The Official Controls (Plant Health and Genetically Modified Organisms) (England) Regulations 2019, the Forestry Commission has introduced demarcated areas around the confirmed outbreak sites, and introduced movement restrictions on materials capable of spreading the disease using Notices.
January 2022 update
Having considered the latest information from ongoing research and monitored symptoms of the disease at infected sites, the Demarcated Areas Notices have been revised to remove movement restrictions on wood, isolated bark and trees. Movement restrictions remain in place on plants for planting within demarcated areas.
Six demarcated areas are currently in place in England:
Cornwall and Devon
Demarcated Area No.15 Notice comes into force on 24 January 2023 replacing the Phytophthora pluvalis Notice no. 10 (PDF, 246 KB, 5 pages) which was issued on 14 April 2022 and applies to parts of Cornwall and Devon. The Demarcated Area No. 15 (PDF, 1.27 MB, 1 page) covers parts of Cornwall and Devon within the boundaries shown in the demarcated area and within Phytophthora pluvalis Notice No. 15 (PDF, 246 KB, 5 pages), which also contains a description of the boundary.
Cumbria
Demarcated Area No.16 Notice comes into force on 24 January 2023 replacing the Phytophthora pluvalis Notice No.7 (PDF, 242 KB, 4 pages) which was issued on 20 January 2022 and applies to parts of Cumbria. The Demarcated Area No.16 (PDF, 479 KB, 1 page) covers parts of Cumbria within the boundaries shown in the demarcated area and within the Phytophthora pluvalis Notice No. 16 (PDF, 244 KB, 5 pages), which also contains a description of the boundary.
Herefordshire
Demarcated Area No.17 Notice comes into force on 24 January 2023 replacing the Phytophthora pluvalis Notice No.9 (PDF, 357 KB, 4 pages) which was issued on 25 February 2022 and applied to parts of Herefordshire. The Demarcated Area No.17 (PDF, 357 KB, 1 page) covers parts of Herefordshire within the boundaries shown in the demarcated area and within the Phytophthora pluvalis Notice No. 17 (PDF, 331 KB, 4 pages) which also contains a description of the boundary.
A corresponding Demarcated Area Notice has been issued in Wales for this outbreak site.
Surrey
Demarcated Area No.18 Notice comes into force on 24 January 2023 replacing Phytophthora pluvalis Notice No. 13 (PDF, 281 KB, 4 pages) which was issued on 9 June 2022 and applied to parts of Surrey. The Demarcated Area No.18 (PDF, 1.57 MB, 1 page) covers parts of Surrey within the boundaries shown in the demarcated area and within the Phytophthora pluvalis Notice No. 18 (PDF, 277 KB, 4 pages), which also contains a description of the boundary.
Gloucestershire
Demarcated area No. 19 comes in to force on 24 January 2023 and applies to parts of Gloucestershire, replacing the Phytophthora pluvalis Notice no. 12 (PDF, 267 KB, 4 pages) which was issued on 14 April 2022 and applied to parts of Gloucestershire. The Demarcated Area No. 19 (PDF, 1.86 MB, 1 page) covers parts of Gloucestershire within the boundaries shown in the demarcated area and within the Phytophthora pluvalis Notice No. 19 (PDF, 268 KB, 4 pages), which also contains a description of the boundary.
A corresponding Demarcated Area Notice has been issued for Wales for this outbreak site.
Shropshire
Demarcated area No. 20 comes into force on 24 January 2023 replacing Phytophthora pluvalis Notice No. 14 (PDF, 329 KB, 5 pages) which was issued on 9 June 2022 and applied to parts of Shropshire. Demarcated Area No.20 (PDF, 1.42 MB, 1 page) covers parts of Shropshire within the boundaries shown in the demarcated area within the Phytophthora pluvalis Notice No. 20 (PDF, 309 KB, 6 pages) which also contains a description of the boundary.
The Notices prohibit the movement of any plants for planting of the genus Tsuga, Pseudotsuga, Pinus and Notholithocarpus, that have originated or are residing within the demarcated area.
Provision is made within the Notices to enable plant health inspectors to authorise movements of material from the demarcated area, where this can be achieved without risking the spread of Phytophthora pluvialis.
You must provide notice and can request an authorization for any movement of plants for planting within the demarcated areas - please contact your local APHA inspector or email your query to
Any infected material may only be moved to a business explicitly authorised to receive and process infected material, these can be found on the Phytophthora pluvialis Authorised Processors list.
Felled material in the demarcated area which is not known to be infected with Phytophthora pluvialis no longer requires inspection or to be sent to authorised processors. For more information or if you have difficulty reaching any of these businesses, please contact Plant Health Forestry Phytophthora pluvialis authorisation team:
Published 20 October 2021
Last updated 17 January 2023 + show all updates
