The latest deadly tree fungus threatens your gin and tonic by killing off juniper berries.
Phytophthora austrocedrae has been spotted on juniper bushes in the Lake District and Scotland.
The fungus could wipe out the delicate population of native juniper bushes in Britain.
The bluey green bushes used to be found around the country but are now confined to a few chalkland sites around the UK.
Many southern English counties have lost 60-70% of their populations of juniper due to loss of habitat.
Now they are even more at risk if the disease spreads.
Some 45% of Scottish trees are at risk of being wiped out by the fungus.
Stock is already suffering from old age, with many specimens more than 100 years old, and booming rabbit and vole populations.
Although juniper used in most commerical gins is largely from Eastern Europe nowadays, the British population is key to the survival of the whole species.
If the UK population dies out it could take strains that prove to be resistant to other diseases in future.
Phytophthora austrocedrae is also a risk to commercial crops abroad.
The agency within the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in charge of tree disease is so worried about its spread it is investigating the fungus.
The Food & Environment Research Agency (FERA) in England and Wales is working with the Forestry Commission in England and Scotland.
Also a study is being conducted by Plantlife Scotland, in conjunction with the commission and Scottish Natural Heritage, to ensure juniper populations are preserved for the future.
Juniper is not only used to flavour gin but game dishes.
A Plantlife spokeswoman said: "Juniper is in serious trouble. One of only three native conifers in Britain, not only does it face a new deadly fungal disease, Phytophthora austrocedrae, it has also disappeared from over one-third of Britain where it was previously found."
The threat to juniper bushes is just the latest disease to hit Britain’s trees.
The Forestry Commission say a total of 19 pests and diseases are now attacking trees in the UK, of which 10 are considered to be at the ‘epidemic stage’. At least a further 11 deadly diseases are a potential threat “on the horizon”.
Ash dieback, the could wipe out the ash population is a recent arrival, but chestnut, oak and pine is also in danger.
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