Declaration Of Quarantine

(1) Boxwood blight, also known as box blight and boxwood leaf drop, is a plant disease that may affect all Buxus and Sarcococca species of plants. The disease is caused by the fungus Calonectria pseudonaviculatum. It has been observed in the United States and is known to spread rapidly in warm and humid conditions. Symptoms include leaf spots, stem lesions, and premature leaf drop. Fungicides applied to affected plants do not cure the disease but only mask these symptoms. The disease is often fatal to infected plants. Boxwood blight does not require a wound entry to infect a host plant. Consequently, the disease may spread easily and rapidly. Given the ease of contagion and risk of unknowingly moving infected plant material, boxwood blight poses a significant risk to Tennessee landscapes and commercial plant industries in the state. Therefore, a quarantine against boxwood blight is necessary to protect the agricultural, horticultural, silvicultural, and other interests of the state. (2) The department hereby establishes a quarantine to restrict movement of all plants and regulated articles under this chapter as capable of supporting dissemination of boxwood blight.