Britain's forests of the future will be full of exotic trees in a bid to beat climate change and avoid pests, the chief executive of the Forestry Commission has said.

As well as protecting Britain's native trees including oak and pine, timber from as far-flung areas as Asia and Latin America will be planted to save our forests.

To demonstrate what is needed in order to save our greenery, the Forestry Commission has sponsored the Resilience Garden at Chelsea Flower Show, which shows British meadow flowers planted at the bases of trees from warmer climes.

Ian Gambles, the chief executive of the department, told The Telegraph: "You can't know what pests might thrive in 30 years time in this country so we need to start planting diverse forests. Being a native plant is no protection against pests. In 2080, the climate in England will be more like the temperature in Italy.

"Therefore seeds from Mediterranean may produce saplings that are better adapted to survive in 50 years."

He said that there are "many less familiar species that will be better adapted to a future climate".

These include Ginkgo trees from Japan, which are so hardy that they were the only trees to survive Hiroshima, and Latin American species of Monkeypuzzle trees, which can survive hot climates and are hardy against pests.