This is a stem cutting from a boxwood that is most likely infected with boxwood blight. The black lesions on the stem are the dead give away. This is the most prevalent time of year for Boxwood blight to become apparent. As I've said before, if you have boxwoods that you want to keep, it's critical that you start spraying them, if you are not doing so. I hear a lot of folks say, "I'm not spraying yet but I'm keeping an eye on my Boxwoods." Unfortunately, that is impossible. Fungicide applications are only effective as a preventative treatment, not as a curative measure. By the time you notice your Boxwoods are infected with some sort of fungus, it's too late and they will need to be removed from the landscape. This came from a private residence on Moorewood Circle.