Boxwood Blight Technical Report

A Technical Report from The Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories

Boxwood blight is a fungal disease that causes leaf spots, twig cankers, rapid defoliation, and eventual death of boxwood plants. All species and varieties of boxwood are considered susceptible. English and American boxwood are most severely affected, but there is some tolerance to boxwood blight in other species and hybrids. Since discovery of this disease in the United States in 2011, boxwood blight has spread rapidly across the U.S. and can now be found in most states from coast to coast. Although boxwood blight can result in death of the host plant, it is a manageable disease.