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Gardening in Canada

Something is eating my boxwoods!

12 years ago

Suddenly my 20 year old boxwoods are showing inches of bare stems all over the plant. Not necessarily at the tips or near the main stems, just random sections along many stems. Leaves are completely gone, not lying dead on the ground. The plants are otherwise healthy, with some new growth. There is some leaf cupping at some tips, which I am not too worried about. Any ideas on what this could be? and what I should do to prevent it?

Comments (5)

Smivies (Ontario - 5b)
12 years ago
Have you considered deer?
Joan416
Original Author
12 years ago
I am pretty sure it is not deer - I am in a very urban part of Toronto. hmmm - surely raccoons don't eat boxwoods ?!?...btw these are all "Green Velvet" variety..
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Smivies (Ontario - 5b)
12 years ago
Apologies for the grim subject matter in the attached link. Considering that, I still wouldn't rule out deer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Toronto Star - deer in High Park
marricgardens
12 years ago
It could also be the Boxwood Psylid. http://woodypests.cas.psu.edu/factsheets/insectfactsheets/html/Boxwood_Psyllid.html
kaynik
12 years ago
I live in Sudbury and there aren't deer in my area.

The bunnies like to eat my boxwood. They don't eat anything else in my garden, just the boxwood.

Kay

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