Picture this: Your once-vibrant boxwood hedge suddenly starts to wilt. The leaves develop brown spots, and then their lush, green foliage turns a sickly brown. That, my friends, is the handiwork of boxwood blight, a stealthy infiltrator attacking the leaves and stems of boxwood plants, leaving them weakened.
So, what exactly is boxwood blight? Well, it’s a sneaky little fungal disease, caused by the pathogen Calonectria pseudonaviculata, that’s been causing a ruckus among our beloved boxwood shrubs. You might hear it called box blight or boxwood leaf drop, but no matter what you call it, it spells trouble for our gardens. This pesky fungus can turn those lush, green boxwood leaves into a sad, brown mess faster than you can say “pruning shears.
” Like a sneaky stowaway, boxwood blight first hitched a ride from across the seas, believed to have originated in Europe and Asia. It found its way to our shores and has since spread across the country, wreaking havoc wherever it goes. Now, you might be wondering, “Is this blight knocking on my garden gate?” While boxwood blight hasn’t made itself at home in every nook and cranny of California, it has been spotted in various counties across the state, including Santa Clara, San Mateo and Monterey.
But don’t let your guard down just yet; this crafty fungus could be lurking in your neighborhood, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Now, you might be wondering what causes this blight to rear its ugly head. Turns o.
