The Demise of Boxwood... and Why Planting Native is Important

Despite boxwood’s status as a nonnative shrub, many landscape designers have utilized multiple varieties of boxwoods in ornamental landscape installations. In fact, boxwoods have been planted in great numbers all over the country for several decades because of their evergreen foliage, their adaptability to pruning, and their ability to form neat hedges,

Boxwoods have not shown themselves to be invasive (meaning they do not escape cultivated spaces and invade wild areas). However, recent growing seasons have been downright devastating for boxwoods. Entire neighborhoods are seeing their boxwoods die, and the problem only seems to be spreading. This growing issue demonstrates the long-term vulnerabilities of utilizing non-native plants in the landscape.

Here, we’re going to explore what exactly went wrong with boxwoods and discuss some great native plant alternatives that can be planted in their stead. 

A healthy boxwood versus one affected by the Boxwood Moth. Photo credit: USDA Gov

The Problem 

The two most recent threats facing boxwoods are the spread of Boxwood blight in 2022-2023 and the spread of the Boxwood Moth this year.

Boxwood Blight is a fungal issue that can kill boxwood shrubs if left untreated. A healthy shrub that has adapted over centuries to a region’s climate would likely be able to fight off such a threat. But boxwoods in the Midwest Region of the United States were left particularly vulnerable to blight due to the Arctic blasts we experienced in the winter of 2022. 

Boxwoods come from the Mediterranean region, where winters are much more temperate. If you have boxwoods in your own yard, you likely have observed that they do not enjoy cold weather. Even during mild winters, it’s common for boxwoods to experience winter die-back that requires restorative pruning in the Spring. The extremely cold weather we experienced in 2022 put boxwoods under a lot of stress and made them uniquely susceptible to a fungal disease such as Boxwood Blight. 

The story of the Boxwood Moth follows a similar trajectory. Although the Boxwood Moth has decimated entire boxwood communities in the United States, it has not done significant damage to boxwoods growing in the Mediterranean or South Asia, where native boxwoods have co-evolved with the pest over many generations. 

This discrepancy is due to the fact that ecological relationships take hundreds or even thousands of years to develop. Plants that naturally occur in a region have co-evolved with the wildlife of that region, building up resistance to certain threats through the process of Evolution. Similarly, pests that feed on naturally occurring (or native) plants will likely have natural predators to keep the populations of those pests in check.

But when the Boxwood Moth is introduced in the United States, where it has a large source of food and no natural predators, the damage measures in the millions of dollars. We have already replaced a record number of boxwoods this season, and we see even more dead boxwoods in almost every neighborhood we drive through. 

Native shrubs such as this Black Chokeberry provide a great alternative to introduced shrubs such as boxwoods.

Native shrubs such as this Black Chokeberry provide a great alternative to introduced shrubs such as boxwoods. Photo credit: Cranbrook Science

The Solution

Rather than adopting expensive and short-sighted chemical spray regimens to manage the spread of Boxwood Moth, we think this is a great opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the past and replace dying boxwoods with more resilient native shrubs. 

The trajectory of the boxwood in the U.S. exemplifies the importance of utilizing native plants in the landscape. Because native plants have adapted to the region over hundreds or thousands of years, they are naturally equipped to handle the weather and insects of our region. 

What’s more, this principle of co-evolution makes native plants more ecologically valuable than nonnatives.

Because native plants have co-evolved with the insects and wildlife of a region, they make up an essential part of the food web. Many native plants are unique host plants for multiple species of pollinating moths, butterflies, and other insects. For example, Milkweed is absolutely vital for the life cycle of Monarch butterflies.

One has to wonder if so many shrubs would need replacing today if landscape designers decades ago had chosen one of the many beautiful shrubs native to Ohio instead of the non-native boxwood.

Now is a perfect time to take a step to restore our environment by replacing dead boxwoods with native alternatives. 

Native shrubs create opportunities for people of all ages to connect with their local ecosystems. Many native shrubs offer edible or medicinal benefits as well as ecological ones

Native Plant Alternatives to Boxwood

Some of our favorite native shrubs for replacing boxwoods include: 

  1. Fothergilla

A slow-growing shrub native to the United States that grows well in a variety of light conditions. It features a showy bloom in early spring and spectacular fall color.

  1. Itea 

A prolific and resilient shrub native to the Ohio Valley region that will produce dense thickets over time. It’s great for feeding birds and pollinators alike.  

  1. Red-twig Dogwood  

A resilient plant that loves full sun and can tolerate wet areas. It features bright red stems that pop in the winter landscape. 

The Takeaway 

While we hate to see plants die, it’s important that we learn the proper lesson from the demise of the boxwood. Thoughtful design that understands plant ecology and utilizes native plants can go a long way toward creating beautiful and resilient landscapes that will stand the test of time. 

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