USDA identifies blight resistant boxwood varieties

Star Roses and Plants has announced its Buxus ‘Little Missy’ was ranked in the top 2% of varieties resistant to boxwood blight in a recently published USDA analysis.

In a recent Journal of Environmental Horticulture publication, USDA scientists used meta-data analysis to rank 131 Boxwood varieties for susceptibility to boxwood blight. The analysis combined data from various external studies conducted at multiple locations under multiple testing conditions.  Buxus ‘Little Missy’ ranked in the top 2% of boxwood blight resistant varieties.

Discovered by nurseryman Norman Cole and introduced by Star Roses and Plants in 2013, Buxus ‘Little Missy’ has been a reliable selection for its excellent landscape and container performance. ‘Little Missy’ is a compact plant that grows to 2.5 feet high by 3.5 feet wide and requires minimal pruning to maintain its tidy appearance. It displays deep green foliage year-round and is hardy to USDA Zone 5.

According to the USDA publication, boxwood is a valuable nursery commodity, with more than 11 million plants sold in the United States each year at a market value of $126 million. However, boxwood plants are threatened by boxwood blight, a destructive disease cause by a fungal pathogen that leads to defoliation and plant death in nurseries and established landscapes. The best long-term solution to combat this pathogen is to develop resistant cultivars.

To read the full USDA analysis, visit https://bit.ly/3luRqrQ.