Knowledgebase
Boxwood moth solution #945410
Asked September 19, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT
Wayne County Michigan
Expert Response
Did you see caterpillars eating the leaves earlier in the season? Leaves eaten down to the center vein, and green caterpillars present on the bush are signs of box tree moth damage.
The picture you attached is dark and rather blurry so I cannot see detail very well. But this reminds me of a different issue on box called boxwood flight. There is nothing that can cure boxwood blight if this is the issue.
Would you please clip a 6 to 8 inch branch with leaves attached, take it into good light, laid out on a plain background and try photographing that for us?
I need to clearly see the damage on the leaves and whether there are any blackened or diseased looking areas on the stems of the plant itself.
Here is how to attach a picture—
Follow the link in your email into your Ask Ext. Question.
Scroll down to the empty “reply box” and then click the blue “drop files here or choose them”
Follow the prompts to attach pictures from your photos file or app.
Pictures in standard format of jpeg work well. Each photo must be 8 megabytes or less in size.
in the meantime, I am attaching a bulletin that shows several of the common issues with boxwood. https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/whats-wrong-with-my-boxwood-common-issues-and-solutions
And also a bulletin that describes box tree moth, treatment, and what to look for.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/what-the-box-tree-moth-quarantine-means-for-michigan-homeowners
