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Box Tree Moth Quarantine Expands Again — What It Means Before You Buy or Move Boxwood

USDA's federal quarantine for the invasive pest now covers parts of ten states. A new order added seven more Ohio counties on August 4, 2026.

Meridians Life Desk

Published 21 August 2026 · Updated 21 August 2026 · 4 min read

Box Tree Moth Quarantine Expands Again — What It Means Before You Buy or Move BoxwoodGarden
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The short answer

  • Box tree moth, an invasive pest first detected in the US in 2021, exclusively attacks boxwood shrubs and can defoliate and eventually kill them.
  • USDA APHIS's federal quarantine now covers parts of ten states, most recently expanding to 14 Ohio counties under Federal Order DA-2026-23, effective August 4, 2026.
  • Interstate movement of boxwood plants out of quarantined areas requires an establishment compliance agreement and a state certificate; other boxwood plant parts are prohibited from interstate movement entirely.
  • Maryland separately quarantined four counties in March 2026 and is asking homeowners to monitor their boxwoods and report suspected sightings with photos.

Boxwood is one of the most widely planted ornamental shrubs in American landscaping, and it now has a federally regulated invasive threat. Since its first U.S. detection in New York in 2021, box tree moth has spread to ten states, prompting USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to keep expanding a federal quarantine — most recently adding seven Ohio counties on August 4, 2026.

What the pest does

Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) is native to East Asia. Its caterpillars are lime-green with black stripes, white spots, and shiny black heads; adult moths have white wings with a thick brown border. The pest attacks boxwood exclusively. According to USDA APHIS, heavy infestations "completely defoliate host plants," after which larvae feed on bark, which "eventually kills the plant."

Where the quarantine now stands

Box tree moth has been confirmed in Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Federal Order DA-2026-23, dated August 4, 2026 and effective immediately, added Ashtabula, Clark, Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Lucas, and Preble counties in Ohio to the federal quarantine, bringing Ohio to 14 quarantined counties. The current federal quarantine footprint also includes all of Delaware, all of Massachusetts, 13 Michigan counties, 31 New York counties, Erie County in Pennsylvania, Clarke and Frederick counties plus the city of Winchester in Virginia, and all of West Virginia. The order is issued under the Plant Protection Act of 2000, as amended, 7 U.S.C. §§7701–7786.

What's actually restricted

  • Interstate movement of boxwood plants out of a quarantined area requires an establishment compliance agreement and a state certificate
  • All other boxwood plant parts are prohibited from interstate movement out of quarantined areas entirely
  • Maryland separately quarantined Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties, effective March 6, 2026, with its own certificate-of-inspection and compliance-agreement requirements

What boxwood owners should do

  1. Check whether your county is in the current federal or state quarantine list before buying, selling, or moving boxwood plants
  2. Inspect existing boxwood for lime-green, black-striped caterpillars or sudden, patchy defoliation
  3. Photograph and report suspected sightings to your state department of agriculture
  4. If you're shopping at a nursery in or near a quarantined area, ask directly whether boxwood stock is compliant with quarantine movement requirements

Sources

Every factual claim above is traceable to these documents. Check them — that is why they are here.

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Meridians Life Desk is an editorial desk at Meridians, not an individual. A desk byline means the article was produced and fact-checked to that desk's published standards. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.

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