How to identify box blight (Buxus spp.)

[Becky]

Looks like we've got box blight in our back garden

The previous owner created very formal looking gardens at the front and the back of the house, which I really like the look of, but there is a lot of box hedge (buxus) and sadly it looks like we've got blight. Even worse, from everything I've read about it there is no cure and it can spread easily. There isn't even a resistant variety of buxus - looks like we're stuffed!

Here are some photos of the affected bits:



Here's a bit about box blight for anyone interested: RHS Box Blight

In our back garden there are two separate areas of box hedge, and thankfully it's the smaller of the two areas that seems to be affected. We are thinking about taking out all of the box hedge in that area before it has a chance to spread to the larger area, but it would be nice to replace it with something similar that isn't affected by an incurable fungus.

If anyone has got any ideas about a suitable replacement I'd be very grateful! It needs to be something that we can keep trimmed to a small size (I guess about knee height) and evergreen. Other than that I'm not fussed about colour. So far I've found varieties of evergreen berberis (eg this one) which look quite nice, but I don't know whether they will hold a formal shape. Any help much appreciated!

 

[Ian]

BTW, please mind the weeds and stray grass in the photos . The lawn was overseeded a couple of months ago, and although it struggles to grow where I want it to, it has no problems springing up in borders .

 

[Trellum]

Sorry to hear about your hedges! I have seen a lot hedges that looked like the ones in your picture, but I thought that change in color was because of the cold weather or something like that. I had no idea this was a sign of disease, a sign of mortal disease for the hedge Good look dealing with that nasty fungus!

 

[Becky]

Sorry to hear about your hedges! I have seen a lot hedges that looked like the ones in your picture, but I thought that change in color was because of the cold weather or something like that. I had no idea this was a sign of disease, a sign of mortal disease for the hedge Good look dealing with that nasty fungus!

Thanks It's such a pain, I really wish there was a way to fix it. We've tried fungal sprays (ones meant for roses) because we heard in some cases it helps, but unfortunately they haven't done anything

 

[Trellum]

At least you tried to do something I think it's always better to try than just do nothing about it, at least you can find some solace in the fact you tried At least that's the way I see it. It's a pity your hedges didn't recover tho