During the past month, I have had readers ask about what is happening to their boxwood hedges lining walkways, gardens and driveways. Article content

Boxwoods, a small-leafed evergreen which became popular in the 1990s, are under threat from an invasive insect from Asia, the box tree moth. The box tree moth first was found in Toronto in the summer of 2018 and by 2023 was declared an infestation. Article content

Recommended Videos Article content

The moth lays eggs on the underside of boxwood leaves. The larvae are a light green caterpillar with black and white stripes, black dots, and a black head.. They can reach four centimetres long. The larvae spin a cocoon among the boxwood leaves deep inside the bush. The pupa stage lasts one to two weeks, from which a moth, white wings with li

See Full Page