Boxwood turning brown - Ask Extension
I have a spiral boxwood shrub that started to turn light yellow over this past summer and I thought that maybe it was just sunburned since we had such...
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Boxwood turning brown #221310
Asked November 26, 2014, 11:07 AM EST
I have a spiral boxwood shrub that started to turn light yellow over this past summer and I thought that maybe it was just sunburned since we had such a hot summer, but now it's turning brown and doesn't seem to be coming back to life at all. I'm wondering if there is something I can do to bring it back, and if not, would it be ok to plant another boxwood in its place, or is it some sort of disease that would spread to anything else that's planted there?
Marion County Oregon
Expert Response
Hello and thank you for contacting Ask an Expert. Sorry for the delayed response due to the holiday closure of our offices.
It is very unlikely that your boxwood can be revived based on your description and the picture. You did not say how long the plant had been in the ground, how often it is watered, etc. Boxwoods are very tough plants, but the past summer was so dry and hot for so long that many plants succumbed if they didn't receive supplemental water.
There is a disease called Boxwood Blight that can affect these plants, but your description and picture don't match the symptoms---leaf drop, black lesions on bark, slow decline. Boxwood Blight is a fungal disease and fungus does not usually advance in hot, dry conditions.
Therefore, I think you could replace this plant with another one. Remember that new plants need more attention for the first year or two until their roots have a chance to establish. That would mean watering every other week or so through the first summer. You could replace the plant now, but there is always a chance of rough winter weather, so you might wait until early spring (March).
It is very unlikely that your boxwood can be revived based on your description and the picture. You did not say how long the plant had been in the ground, how often it is watered, etc. Boxwoods are very tough plants, but the past summer was so dry and hot for so long that many plants succumbed if they didn't receive supplemental water.
There is a disease called Boxwood Blight that can affect these plants, but your description and picture don't match the symptoms---leaf drop, black lesions on bark, slow decline. Boxwood Blight is a fungal disease and fungus does not usually advance in hot, dry conditions.
Therefore, I think you could replace this plant with another one. Remember that new plants need more attention for the first year or two until their roots have a chance to establish. That would mean watering every other week or so through the first summer. You could replace the plant now, but there is always a chance of rough winter weather, so you might wait until early spring (March).
