Boxwood Disease - Ask Extension
Several boxwoods on my property seem to be dying. First the leaves turn brown, then fall off and leave the branches bare. The first picture below is...
Knowledgebase
Boxwood Disease #877897
Asked July 19, 2024, 10:39 AM EDT
Several boxwoods on my property seem to be dying. First the leaves turn brown, then fall off and leave the branches bare. The first picture below is of a Boxwood Boxus X 'Green Velvet', which I planted on the north side of my house in 2010, The second picture is of a Boxwood "Winter Gem' 'Boxus Microphylla' which I planted in 2010 facing southeast. All of my boxwoods grew heathily until about two years ago, when they started showing the above symptoms.
Hamilton County Ohio
Expert Response
Hello! Thank you for writing.
I'm sorry to see that your plants are having issues.
It looks like the Winter Gem could have mites. I recommend washing the plant with a strong spray of water to remove the mites and their webs. This should help. If that doesn't solve your issue, please write back and we will look for other ways to help.
As for the Green Velvet. This looks to be more serious. It may be boxwood blight, root rot, or an insect infestation. For a definitive diagnosis, I would take a sample to your local Extension Office (see below for information on how to find your local office). You may also want to take a sample to your local reputable nursery - they may have an expert onsite to help.
If it is blight, the best course of action would be to remove the plant so the infection doesn't spread. But you wouldn't want to do that unless you are certain that it is blight. Here is some information on boxwood blight: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-203-W.pdf
Here are a couple of great articles that can help diagnose boxwood problems:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/boxwood-identify-and-manage-common-problems/extension.umd.edu/resource/boxwood-identify-and-manage-common-problems
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/boxwood-diseases-insect-pests/
I hope this helps you!
I'm sorry to see that your plants are having issues.
It looks like the Winter Gem could have mites. I recommend washing the plant with a strong spray of water to remove the mites and their webs. This should help. If that doesn't solve your issue, please write back and we will look for other ways to help.
As for the Green Velvet. This looks to be more serious. It may be boxwood blight, root rot, or an insect infestation. For a definitive diagnosis, I would take a sample to your local Extension Office (see below for information on how to find your local office). You may also want to take a sample to your local reputable nursery - they may have an expert onsite to help.
If it is blight, the best course of action would be to remove the plant so the infection doesn't spread. But you wouldn't want to do that unless you are certain that it is blight. Here is some information on boxwood blight: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-203-W.pdf
Here are a couple of great articles that can help diagnose boxwood problems:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/boxwood-identify-and-manage-common-problems/extension.umd.edu/resource/boxwood-identify-and-manage-common-problems
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/boxwood-diseases-insect-pests/
I hope this helps you!
