Prevention and Management of Boxwood Blight
Kelly Ivors, Extension Plant Pathologist, Dept. of Plant Pathology, NC State University
Common names of the disease: Boxwood blight, box blight, Cylindrocladium box blight, blight disease of
boxwood, boxwood leaf drop.
Scientific name: Most literature refers to the fungus that causes box blight as Cylindrocladium buxicola. This is
the Latin binomial given to this fungus in the United Kingdom where the disease was first observed. It is also
sometimes referred to as Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum or Calonectria pseudonaviculata, but these names
refer to the same fungus and are synonyms.
Symptoms: This disease can significantly impact the appearance and aesthetics of boxwood because the foliage
typically becomes blighted and drops from the plant. Symptoms of box blight include: dark‐ or light‐brown,
circular leaf spots often with darker margins; dark stem cankers or ‘streaks’; straw‐ to bronze‐colored, blighted
foliage; and leaf drop. Leaf spots may grow together to eventually cover the entire leaf (pictures on next page). In
container boxwood, sometimes only the lower foliage and stems become infected, leaving the tops green and
making the plant appear top‐heavy. Blighting and defoliation can occur rapidly with complete leaf loss under
warm (64 to 80°F) and humid conditions. Shady conditions favor disease development. Under high humidity,
white fuzzy masses consisting of numerous spores may be observed on infected stems and leaves; a hand lens will
help you see the actual spores. However, these fuzzy masses are often not observed if environmental conditions
are not just right (i.e. if relative humidity or temperatures are too low). Most boxwood cuttings are initially
propagated in humidity chambers or tents, and liners are often grown in shade; these conditions promote disease
development. Therefore, young boxwood plants are especially at risk if the pathogen is unintentionally
introduced into the growing area. Even after severe defoliation, root systems of box blight‐infected plants remain
healthy and intact, unlike roots infected with Phytophthora. The stems of infected boxwood typically remain
green under the outer bark until a secondary invader or opportunistic pathogen attacks this tissue and eventually
kills the plant. The box blight pathogen is often confused or associated with the secondary fungus Volutella buxi,
known to cause Volutella blight. However, Volutella alone will not cause box blight.
Hosts: Plant species within the genera Buxus, Pachysandra and Sarcococca have been reported as hosts to this
fungus. However, there is limited information about the role Pachysandra (spurge) and Sarcococca (sweetbox)
species play as possible vectors for initiating the disease in boxwood. Although the full host‐range of this fungus
has not been finalized yet, it is believed that only plants within the family Buxaceae can be infected by the
pathogen. Research conducted at NCSU in 2012 indicated a wide range in susceptibility of boxwood cultivars to
box blight, however B. sempervirens types were more susceptible in general, with Buxus sempervirens
‘Suffruticosa’ (English boxwood) and Buxus sempervirens ‘American’ (common or American boxwood) especially
susceptible. Refer to http://go.ncsu.edu/boxwood_blight_links for info. This is possibly due to plant genetics, as
well as physical features of the plant such as a dense and compact leaf canopy.
Distribution: The pathogen was first discovered in the United Kingdom in the mid‐1990’s causing a severe blight
disease on boxwood (Buxus species). It is now considered to be widespread throughout most of Europe, as well
as in native boxwood stands in the Republic of Georgia. The pathogen was also discovered in New Zealand in
1998. In late October 2011, the fungus was confirmed for the first time in North America; it has since been found
in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Virginia, as well as the Canadian provinces British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.
Transmission: The primary way this disease spread throughout Europe was the movement of infected plants,
cuttings, and boxwood debris (especially fallen leaves). Another significant way this disease spreads is through
contaminated tools and workers. Human activities such as pruning also contribute to spread. The sticky fungal
spores are readily moved on contaminated tools and equipment, on workers and animals that come into contact
with infected foliage, and in water (in splashing rain or overhead irrigation, flood water, runoff water or in
droplets carried by the wind). Spores are unlikely to travel long distances by wind alone. T he greatest potential
for long‐distance transport of box blight is the movement of infected plants, cuttings, people and tools.
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF BOX BLIGHT
Circular leaf spots appear before leaf blighting; spots often have a darker (brown to purple) margin.
Dark brown to black stem lesions or ‘streaks’ are typical symptoms of box blight.
Controlling box blight: Identifying measures for preventing and managing box blight in commercial nursery and
field settings is a work‐in‐progress; researchers are in the process of evaluating fungicides and sanitizers, as well
as identifying resistant boxwood cultivars. All plants infected with box blight should be destroyed, as the chance
of further spreading this fungus is highly probable. Once introduced, limiting movement of this sticky, contagious
fungus is VERY difficult and will ONLY be accomplished by ALWAYS following good sanitation practices, including:
disinfecting pruners and other tools frequently within and between different blocks of plants, especially
between different field locations or landscapes in counties suspected to have box blight;
never working in fields when the plants are wet;
wearing clean disposable booties or washing off debris and dirt entirely from soles of shoes between
different boxwood fields or landscapes, especially in counties suspected to have box blight;
wearing clean tyveks or laundering clothes between different field locations in counties suspected to have
box blight;
burning or burying box‐blight infected plants on‐site (composting is not recommended); and
NEVER discarding boxwood waste material where it could contaminate other boxwood plants.
The best way to sanitize tools is to dip them for TEN SECONDS into these products and then allowing the tools to
dry: ethyl or isopropyl alcohol at 70‐100% (most Lysol formulations, grain/rubbing alcohol), sodium hypochlorite
(10% Clorox or other brands of household bleach‐ the same as 1 part bleach to 9 parts clean water‐ made fresh
each day), phenolics at 0.4‐5% (trade name Pheno‐Cen), or quaternary ammonium at 0.5–1.5% (trade names
Greenshield, Consan Triple Action 20, Physan 20).
Q u i c k tips: * T r a i n your staff to recognize symptoms of box blight and scout frequently during conducive weather
in spring, summer, and fall; *Purchase incoming plants from certified, reputable growers and inspect new liners
and plants upon delivery; *Never introduce suspicious looking or unhealthy plants into a commercial production
area; *ALWAYS practice good sanitation measures when working with boxwood; *Apply fungicides preventively
in commercial nurseries in counties suspected to have box blight during conducive weather in spring, summer,
and fall. Refer to http://go.ncsu.edu/boxwood_blight_links; *Get an accurate diagnosis quickly if you start to
notice anything odd or unhealthy about your boxwood plants.
Do you have box blight? It is to your benefit ‐‐ and to the benefit of the commercial nursery and landscape
industry ‐‐ to know if you have box blight. If you do, you can take steps to prevent it from spreading to other
plants, eliminate it from your grounds, and keep it from being shipped into other areas. The only way to confirm
whether a plant has box blight is to submit samples to a professional plant disease diagnostic lab; almost every
state has one (see the list below for diagnostic labs in the NE and Mid Central‐Atlantic states). Cooperative
extension agents should be able to assist you in the submission of samples if you need help. Affected branches,
stems, and leaves make the best samples; don’t forget to take some pictures.
