Why Is My Boxwood Turning Brown? 6 Ways to Fix It

Because they have tiny leaves that are usually a rich green color, boxwoods are valued for their exquisite foliage. They are great shrubs for hedges, but, if just one or two of the plants turn brown, the look of the whole hedge is ruined.

Boxwood turning brown includes pest infestations, exposure to dog urine, fungal diseases, improper watering, salt damage, and winter burn.

Learn about why boxwoods turn brown and what to do about it.

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6 Reasons Boxwoods Turn Brown

There are several reasons for boxwood shrubs turning brown. The remedy may be different depending on the reason. That is why it is important to identify the precise reason in each case:

Pest Infestations

Several pests may infest boxwood shrubs, including boxwood mites, boxwood psyllids (jumping plant lice), leaf miners, and scale.

Many of these tiny pests will be found only on the undersides of plant leaves, which is why gardeners are often unaware of their presence until it’s too late.

Dog Urine

Stray dogs can be a different type of “pest.” They can be the reason for boxwoods turning brown if they are urinating on them—urine contains high concentrations of nitrogen.

Fungal Diseases

Fungal diseases such as root rot and boxwood blight can be a major problem for boxwood. Fungus thrives where conditions are overly wet; if you have such conditions, this may be the reason for your boxwoods turning brown.

Improper Watering

Improper watering works both ways: you can be either overwatering or underwatering. The result for both can be brown foliage. In the case of overwatering, you are also playing into the hands of fungus.

Salt Damage

Salt damage can be a problem either in coastal regions or if you garden along a roadside that is salted in winter. Once too much salt saturates the soil, it prevents your plants from absorbing water properly.

Winter Burn

Winter burn is a kind of foliar damage that may occur when a shrub is exposed to excessive wind and sun. These dry out the plant, causing the leaves to brown.

When the weather is warmer, wind and sun are less likely to cause problems, because the leaves contain plenty of moisture at this time. But in winter the ground is frozen, making sufficient water unavailable to the plant.

6 Tips to Revive Your Boxwoods

The corrective for your boxwood shrubs depends on the specific reason for its brown leaves, so let’s address the problem case by case:

1. Pest infestations: Faithfully inspect the undersides of the leaves, and, if you find any pests, spray with Neem oil.
2. Dog urine: Use repellents to keep stray dogs from invading your property. A pet-friendly repellent to use is white vinegar. Spray it around the perimeter of your property (but keep it off of grass and garden plants because it also acts as an herbicide).
3. Fungal diseases: Since fungus thrives in overly wet conditions, deprive it of excessive moisture in the soil by ensuring that your boxwoods have proper drainage. Above ground, avoid overhead watering and furnish proper spacing.
4. Improper watering: Strike a balance in watering. Too little water and your boxwoods may brown up with leaf scorch. Too much water and their roots can suffocate.
5. Salt damage: If your boxwoods are growing along a road salted in winter, move them to a different location. If you live close to the ocean, there may be no escaping salt; in which case you should grow salt-tolerant plants instead.
6. Winter burn: Two popular ways to prevent winter damage are to spray an anti-desiccant on your plants (first in late November, then again in late January) or to wrap your boxwood in burlap.