Boxwood blight found on pachysandra in Connecticut landscape

Pest and disease
Infection found near newly planted boxwoods

From Sharon Douglas at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES):

A natural infection of pachysandra in the landscape by Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum, the boxwood blight fungus, was confirmed by CAES plant pathologists on 29 June 2012. The pachysandra sample had been collected by a CAES inspector while visiting a residential property in Fairfield County that had installed B&B boxwood plants in May 2012.  These plants had been confirmed by CAES to be infected with boxwood blight one week prior to the visit. The inspector noticed that an established bed of pachysandra bed adjacent to the infected boxwood had unusual, foliar symptoms, so he collected the sample to bring to the diagnostic lab for examination.

Symptom included small to larger necrotic lesions with well-dileneated margins on the leaves. All of the necrotic lesions had distinct, diffuse yellow haloes. No lesions were observed on the stems and no defoliation had occurred. The overall color of the pachysandra leaves were normal and dark green.

The CAES had previously reported pachysandra as a boxwood blight host, but it was innoculated in the lab and greenhouse.