Destructive caterpillar Box Tree Moth? - Ask Extension
My box wood hedge is being eaten. There are small caterpillars on the plant. I am in Baltimore City 21222 zip code.
Knowledgebase
Destructive caterpillar Box Tree Moth? #930859
Asked May 06, 2026, 6:41 PM EDT
My box wood hedge is being eaten. There are small caterpillars on the plant. I am in Baltimore City 21222 zip code.
Baltimore City County Maryland
Expert Response
The plants pictured are not Boxwoods, and the caterpillars are not Box Tree Moth, but instead are Euonymus Leaf Notcher caterpillars. This time of year, this species (which only has one generation per year) is nearly finished feeding and will soon be gone.
Euonymus are vigorous shrubs that can rebound well enough on their own, even from heavy caterpillar feeding, so no pesticide use is needed. You can trim back leafless stems if you want for aesthetics, but generally they are capable of producing replacement growth, and any that may remain bare after that happens in the next few weeks can be cut back at that time. You can learn more about the insect on the linked page.
Miri
Euonymus are vigorous shrubs that can rebound well enough on their own, even from heavy caterpillar feeding, so no pesticide use is needed. You can trim back leafless stems if you want for aesthetics, but generally they are capable of producing replacement growth, and any that may remain bare after that happens in the next few weeks can be cut back at that time. You can learn more about the insect on the linked page.
Miri
