50 year old boxwood dying - Ask Extension
What has happened to my boxwood? I have had it for 40 - 50 years. I used to cut out branches that had obviously died with success but this time the ...
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50 year old boxwood dying #812788
Asked October 01, 2022, 9:49 AM EDT
What has happened to my boxwood? I have had it for 40 - 50 years. I used to cut out branches that had obviously died with success but this time the whole boxwood is dying. Why did this happen. Incidentally the website address for you published in the Baltimore Sun does NOT work. umd.edu/hgic It just takes you to University of Maryland with no indication how to get to you. Claire
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
Hello Claire.
We are sorry to see the state of your longtime boxwood.
Unfortunately, Boxwood has many issues which they are prone to suffer. So many that often it is a combined series that can eventually take them down, referred to as 'Boxwood Decline'.
Here is a page that you can explore about that:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/how-do-you-decide-when-remove-tree
We can see that it has had some winter damage, has split, and had some disease issues like the commonly seen Volutella.
It's hard to tell from your photo but it also seems that there is not much area of ground/soil available in that corner with the brick pavers encroaching.
At this point, we think it is not likely to survive and it could be taken out.
If you want to hold out hope, you could try pruning it back to a stump and see if it can produce new growth for you. However, they are slow growers and it wouldn't be likely you'd see a return to its previous grand, attractive form.
Christine
We are sorry to see the state of your longtime boxwood.
Unfortunately, Boxwood has many issues which they are prone to suffer. So many that often it is a combined series that can eventually take them down, referred to as 'Boxwood Decline'.
Here is a page that you can explore about that:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/how-do-you-decide-when-remove-tree
We can see that it has had some winter damage, has split, and had some disease issues like the commonly seen Volutella.
It's hard to tell from your photo but it also seems that there is not much area of ground/soil available in that corner with the brick pavers encroaching.
At this point, we think it is not likely to survive and it could be taken out.
If you want to hold out hope, you could try pruning it back to a stump and see if it can produce new growth for you. However, they are slow growers and it wouldn't be likely you'd see a return to its previous grand, attractive form.
Christine
Thank you . It is about what I thought. I also think I will take it down to its stump and see what happens. I bought it at Hammersmith Farm where Jackie Kennedy grew up - probably in the 70's or early 80's. It had gotten a bit big for where it was, but there was no way it was getting moved. I am sad to see it go. I had seen branches like this in the past and cut the out and the plant moved on but It is too far gone now. Claire
Hi Claire,
Given its age, source, and overall appearance, this is probably an English or American boxwood (botanical name Buxus sempervirens, possibly cultivar 'Suffruticosa'), which is native to Eurasia despite their common names. We mention this because this particular variety of boxwood, once very widely grown, tends to be the most vulnerable to the various pests and diseases boxwood can contract. Hybrids among other Asian species and cultivars with improved disease resistance tend to dominate the market today. If you happen to want to replace it (and if you don't just use a different species entirely instead), we suggest you look for one of those highly-resistant varieties. None will be immune to all potential problems, but it will give the plant better odds for a long life.
We double-checked the postscript note in recent Baltimore Sun columns to verify they are printing the correct web address, and they are. The full address, which spans more than one line of the paragraph in that note so might be overlooked, is extension.umd.edu/hgic, and the icon for Ask Extension is just over halfway down that HGIC home page. Clicking on that link leads directly to the question submission form, but you can also use the "Ask Extension" link within the top banner that appears on every Extension resource page as well to get to the submission form as well.
Miri
Given its age, source, and overall appearance, this is probably an English or American boxwood (botanical name Buxus sempervirens, possibly cultivar 'Suffruticosa'), which is native to Eurasia despite their common names. We mention this because this particular variety of boxwood, once very widely grown, tends to be the most vulnerable to the various pests and diseases boxwood can contract. Hybrids among other Asian species and cultivars with improved disease resistance tend to dominate the market today. If you happen to want to replace it (and if you don't just use a different species entirely instead), we suggest you look for one of those highly-resistant varieties. None will be immune to all potential problems, but it will give the plant better odds for a long life.
We double-checked the postscript note in recent Baltimore Sun columns to verify they are printing the correct web address, and they are. The full address, which spans more than one line of the paragraph in that note so might be overlooked, is extension.umd.edu/hgic, and the icon for Ask Extension is just over halfway down that HGIC home page. Clicking on that link leads directly to the question submission form, but you can also use the "Ask Extension" link within the top banner that appears on every Extension resource page as well to get to the submission form as well.
Miri
I included that extension. It would not take me to your area. I got there by just putting you in google. Thank you for that other information Claire
On 10/04/2022 11:05 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
