Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Hebe or Box..

mandyroberts99mandyroberts99 Posts: 235
in Problem solving
I though these bushes were Hebe but one looks very sick and I'm wondering if its Box and it has blight? Looks dreadful

Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    The not sick one is a Hebe. I think the sick one is Box but, poor thing, it's hard to tell


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Yep the box has been consumed by the dreaded caterpillars. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • mandyroberts99mandyroberts99 Posts: 235
    Crickey so I have hebe & box! No wonder I'm confused. Can you save the box or is it a complete write off?
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    There are some treatments out there but it can get expensive quite quickly and you have to deal with the lifecycle of the pest. I took all box out and replaced it with yew and euonymus, life's too short.
    The RHS page on this problem: https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/box-tree-caterpillar
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • mandyroberts99mandyroberts99 Posts: 235
    @amancalledgeorge If I cut it right back would it regrow?

  • Desi_in_LondonDesi_in_London Posts: 731
    It would regrow, but if you are in an area of the country where the box caterpillar is around , will require constant vigilance and treatment. Also - box does not grow that fast, so a drastic cut back might well take several years to get to a nicely shaped size commensurate with the hebe.
    Kindness is always the right choice.
Sign In or Register to comment.