Boxwood Blight

Picture from NPND News, Vol.6, Issue 12

As far as I know boxwood blight (Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum) has not been found in Florida but I wanted you to be aware of it.  This disease is very destructive on boxwood starting with black spots and lesions that coalesce to eventually kill the plant.  It has also been found on plants and landscapes in Connecticut, Virginia, Maryland, Oregon, Ohio, New York,  Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and North Carolina.  So be aware and cautious about moving plants back and forth across the Florida state line.  The disease is common in the UK.  It affects all cultivars and species of Buxus to one degree or another and the same disease has been found on Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis).  If you are interested in reading more about it boxwood blight, here is a great article about the disease from Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station.    http://tiny.cc/boxblight