I’m surprised with the fact that this tree is not cold tolerant, I think that provenances planted in Britain come from central Chile; everybody who has information about Tierra del Fuego, knows that Drimys winteri grows there and that has survived temperatures down to –20°C in the town of Ushuaia!. Compare all climate statistics from any city in Britain with Ushuaia and you will confirm that Tierra del Fuego is very much colder. Faroe Islands example: In Faroe Islands Drimys winteri has been very hardy; due to the fact that those islands are naturally devoid of trees and it was thought that no trees could grow because of strong winds and cold summers (10°c) , a commission was created in order to make an expedition to Tierra del Fuego, the collecting was carried out in tundra borders and tree-lines (colder places than Ushuaia), in crop trials trees (Drimys and Nothofagus) from Tierra del Fuego registered good growth but those from northern Europe and southern Alaska didn’t succeed because they need more heat in summer. The usefulness of Tierra del Fuego’ trees is amazing and they could be introduced even in Iceland. If we compare climate data averages; hottest month: Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego) 9°C, Reykjavik 11°C; coldest month Ushuaia 0°C, Reykjavik 0°C. In Iceland they could be used as wind curtains against strong winds in order to protect soil from grazing. Wood imports would be reduced. In Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands (in this two regions trees from Sitka, South Alaska; were a failure because they have more than 100 years and are still shrubs; they need more heat in summer), trees from Tierra del Fuego could be planted too because the climate is practically the same. Besides, I’m sure that if provenances of Drimys winteri from the southernmost forests of Tierra del Fuego are planted in Britain they will turn out to be very hardy ones. BIBLOGRAPHY: Højgaard, A., J. Jóhansen, and S. Ødum (eds) 1989. A century of tree planting in the Faroe Islands. Føroya Frodskaparfelag, Torshavn.