Looks dead to me.

Where do you live? And do you know the type of boxwood you have planted? Boxwood blight is sweeping across the country and there are only a handful of cultivars that are showing any sort of resistance to this fatal disease. It might be best to remove and replace with something similar that is not affected by this pathogen, like Japanese holly.

The general but incorrect presumption when seeing a damaged boxwood like the one in the picture might be boxwood blight, especially given its notorious reputation among gardeners. Boxwood blight is caused by the fungus Calonectria pseudonaviculata and leads to rapid defoliation, black streaks on stems, and light to dark brown spots or lesions on leaves. However, the apparent browning and bleaching don't typically align with boxwood blight.

Still, is is not possible to diagnose without a close-up photo of the foliage. Based on the your description and the general browning of your boxwood, it sounds like your plant could be dealing with a few potential issues. The presence of webbing, even without visible spiders, might suggest spider mites rather than spiders themselves. Spider mites are tiny and often difficult to see without magnification, but they can cause webbing and damage similar to what is shown in the picture. Additionally, the activity of wasps around the plant could indicate that they are attracted to either the pests on the plant or the sap from any damage the plant may have sustained.

A couple of questions: Do you notice any green growth or budding at all? How long has the boxwood been in decline?

Thank you all for your responses! We’re in Ontario-Greater Toronto Area. I had noticed a lot of green growth earlier in the season and

There’s a bit on the ends but mostly brown.., the boxwoods beside are green but slowly fading as well. Something similar happened last year but they came back ok this year before it happened again. any advice on controlling spider mites if it is in fact something of the sort?

I believe they are a green mountain boxwood … has been in decline for a couple weeks I would say

Melissa, can you provide a closeup photo of the foliage? If this happened last year and the boxwood recovered like you said, you can rule out blight as the plant would have steadily declined.

My green mountain boxwoods have had a bought if spidermites in the past. When severe, it will manifest as browning a bleaching of foliage. In addition, you’ll also noticed tiny dots on the leaf surface.

Ok I went to further inspect the leaves and it appears the caterpillars are back 😒. They’re so hard to see I thought because I didn’t see any maybe it was something else but seems I have to get those under control. thanks for encouraging me to go back out and look 🫠

Grr!

Wow! Given the close-up images and descriptions provided, it appears your boxwood is dealing with an infestation of box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis). This pest is known for its larval stage, where the caterpillars feed intensively on boxwood leaves, causing significant damage. They often produce webbing to protect themselves, which is evident in your photos. The presence of these caterpillars can lead to severe defoliation and potentially threaten the survival of the plant if not controlled timely.

To address this, you should start by manually removing as many caterpillars and affected leaves as possible to reduce the immediate load of the pests. Following that, apply a caterpillar-specific insecticide, such as those containing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which is effective against young larvae and safer for use around beneficial insects. Be sure to follow the application instructions carefully. Additionally, prune any dead or heavily damaged foliage to help stimulate new growth and improve the plant's overall health. Regular monitoring and subsequent treatments may be necessary to fully control the infestation and protect your boxwood from future attacks.

I'm afraid that is definitely the dreaded box moth. It has destroyed vast swathes of box here in the UK. All mine were killed within a few weeks despite constant manual picking and hose blasting. The commonest solution here is to give up growing box. https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/box-tree-caterpillar

Oh no! I had this problem a few years back and now my boxwoods have recovered nicely. What part of the US are you from?

Oh my goodness! It’s somewhat comforting to know I’m not alone in this feat against them. It’s a shame because I love the aesthetic of the boxwoods but obviously when they are not looking dead. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and advice. It is much appreciated.