By now, everyone has heard of the newest pest to the U.S. ornamental industry. If not, we are referring to Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum or Cylindrocladium buxicola. Common names of the disease are boxwood blight, box blight, blight disease of boxwood or boxwood leaf drop. This disease is very destructive and quickly spreads throughout boxwood cultivars.
Please be assured that the field and container grown boxwood at Angelica have been inspected by the Maryland Department of Agriculture. No indications of the fungal pathogen for boxwood blight were present. We do anticipate inspecting the boxwood again later in the spring. If conditions warrant, the boxwood will also be inspected in the summer.
Since Angelica is about as isolated and as far as one can get from other boxwood growers and primarily surrounded by traditional farm land, we don’t foresee having a problem with this disease. To that end, Angelica has not brought in any boxwoods in over four years.
Boxwoods will survive this latest pest, but we all must remain vigilant in our efforts to control the disease. For additional information on this disease, please visit NC Statue University’s Website or Horticultural Research Institute’s Website.
