Boxwood blight - Ask Extension
I live in Essex, Maryland. I want to replace all of my 40+ year old foundation plants in the front of my house. I have dug up all of the old plants.
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Knowledgebase
Boxwood blight #925779
Asked March 10, 2026, 1:31 PM EDT
I live in Essex, Maryland. I want to replace all of my 40+ year old foundation plants in the front of my house. I have dug up all of the old plants.
I met with a local landscape architect and she has suggested several varieties of boxwoods.
I am concerned about boxwood blight and would like to know if this is a problem in my area and if I should follow her advice. Has there been any new developments in the treatment of this fungicide?
I plan on getting the plants from Manor View Nursery in Monkton.
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
Boxwood Blight is present throughout our region, including Maryland, but some cultivars of boxwood have good resistance to that particular fungus. We do not recommend using a fungicide to combat the disease because: (a) fungicide use is only preventative, not curative, and its application can harm other organisms; (b) over-use of a fungicide can promote resistance in the pest/disease, which means future attempts at controlling it with the same class of chemicals may no longer work, which is especially important when only a handful of chemical control options exist; and (c) fungicide could mask the symptoms of an infection, making it harder to determine when an application would really be needed, or how extensive an infection is (or how far it's spread). It's always best to avoid a disease outbreak problem by using resistant cultivars (when they exist) and using a mix of plant species so if/when a pest or disease outbreak does occur, it won't affect the entire planting equally severely.
To be fair, any plant has its own list of potential pest or disease issues, but by mixing species, at least they won't have much overlap between them. Foundation plantings can be stressful environments for plants, even considering how often shrubs and perennials are installed next to a home, so the architect/designer should choose species tolerant of the likely conditions of compacted soil, reflected heat (from the building, especially if it's a sunny exposure in summer), potentially poor drainage (make sure a roof downspout outlet doesn't empty in that area) or drought (if a roof overhang interrupts rainfall), and potential exposure to ice melt products from runoff from a nearby walkway. Despite the fact that they are often planted in full sun, boxwoods grow best in a mix of sun and shade, as full sun can add to their stress, especially in summer. With shallow root systems, they also are sensitive to root disturbance, which just means you should avoid planting anything near them that requires regular replanting, like annuals or tulip bulbs.
Miri
To be fair, any plant has its own list of potential pest or disease issues, but by mixing species, at least they won't have much overlap between them. Foundation plantings can be stressful environments for plants, even considering how often shrubs and perennials are installed next to a home, so the architect/designer should choose species tolerant of the likely conditions of compacted soil, reflected heat (from the building, especially if it's a sunny exposure in summer), potentially poor drainage (make sure a roof downspout outlet doesn't empty in that area) or drought (if a roof overhang interrupts rainfall), and potential exposure to ice melt products from runoff from a nearby walkway. Despite the fact that they are often planted in full sun, boxwoods grow best in a mix of sun and shade, as full sun can add to their stress, especially in summer. With shallow root systems, they also are sensitive to root disturbance, which just means you should avoid planting anything near them that requires regular replanting, like annuals or tulip bulbs.
Miri
