Sarcococca Blight

Boxwood blight calonectria pseudonaviculata is a serious fungal disease that primarily affects boxwood buxus spp but can also hit japanese pachysandra pachysandra terminalis and sweetbox sarcococca spp.

Sarcococca blight. Blight symptoms were observed on sarcococca and adjacent buxus sempervirens boxwood plants in maryland during 2014. Boxwood blight causes leaf spots stem cankers and defoliation. It is caused by volutella buxiwhich is the asexual stage of the fungus pseudonectria rousseliana. Volutella blight has been around for many years. Winter hardy to usda zones 7 9 where it is best grown in acidic organically rich moderately fertile moist but well drained soils in part shade to full shade. Box blight doesn t kill the roots of box plants. Symptoms on sarcococca were novel and included twig dieback and dark lesions.

This results in browning of the leaves and dieback of branches leaving bare patches in hedges and topiary specimens. Leaves lose luster and may burn in full sun. A two fungi are particularly associated with box blight and others may also be involved. The most damaging is cylindrocladium buxicola which initially produces dark brown or black spots on the leaves and black streaks on the stems followed by grey patches under the leaves. Cylindrocladium buxicola is divided into two genetic types which differ in their sensitivity to some fungicides triazoles. Box blight is a disease of box leaves and stems caused by the fungus cylindrocladium buxicola syn.