Box Tree Moth Findings Confirmed in Canada

HRI Research • January 14, 2020

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed that box tree moth (BTM) was indeed found in three separate residential landscapes in Etobicoke, Ontario, a Toronto neighborhood in fall 2018. CFIA plans to assess the extent of spread and determine whether this is a transient, or not fully established, pest or if it is more widely distributed. Surveys and outreach efforts to educate the local public are planned as well. Control measures and future plans for delimitation will be coordinated among CFIA, the Ministry of Ontario, and the boxwood industry.

APHIS is still evaluating the need for a Federal Order requiring certification of boxwood entering the US from Canada; however, a Pest Alert bulletin was issued to ports of entry. Surveillance and monitoring along the border in addition to entry points will be heightened. Researchers are unsure how quickly BTM will spread in the US. Box tree forests do not exist here; so, less host material may (hopefully) translate to slower or less spread.

As with many insect pests, the most destructive life stage is larvae, or caterpillars in this case. Damage is caused by larvae feeding on leaves (aesthetic damage) and bark (physiological damage). Infestations are flagged by skeletonized leaves, frass deposits, and webbing created by caterpillars for protection during feeding and pupation. Adults are moths with a wingspan of about 1.5 inches, and wings are either white with a dark brown border or brown with small, white spots.

The ideal temperature range for BTM is from 70 – 92° F, but activities are known to occur outside this range. Eggs hatch when temperatures are at least 52° F, and larvae regularly survive winter temperatures below -22° F in parts of China. Depending on temperature and light levels, two to four life cycles per year are common in the EU; each lasts around 45 days.

The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) continues to monitor BTM as part of its ongoing Boxwood Initiative. Outreach on emerging pests and diseases is another example of how HRI helps the industry stay informed on issues impacting their bottom line.

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The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), founded in 1962, has provided more than $7.5 million in funds to research projects covering a broad range of production, environmental, and business issues important to the green industry. Nearly $11 million is committed to the endowment by individuals, corporations, and associations. For more information about HRI, its grant-funded research, or programming, visit www.hriresearch.org or contact Jennifer Gray at 614.884.1155.

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Soilless Substrate Science - Ushering in the Next Generation of Growing Media

By Jennifer Gray • May 28, 2026

Soilless Substrate Science (S3) is a national transdisciplinary collaboration developed to support growers as we advance to the next generation of substrates. Our team is leading North American efforts to develop new substrate materials and techniques, and working with growers to support implementation, as we support the global transition to substrates that go Beyond Peat. In this webinar, Dr. Jeb Fields will discuss the S3 team efforts surrounding identification of new substrate materials, processing and development, and grower support. We will explore wood fiber processing, sugarcane bagasse substrate development, stabilization of organic fibers, databasing substrate materials, and opportunities for growers to get involved. Overall, attendees will learn about US efforts to develop domestically-sourced substrates and advance substrate science as we move towards the next generation of substrate science. Our Speaker Dr. Jeb Fields is a production horticulturist who works with growers in Florida and throughout the country to support more effective and efficient production practices through his environmental nursery research program. Jeb’s primary interests include growing media & substrate science, irrigation & fertilizer management, whole plant-water relations and plant abiotic stress physiology. Jeb is an internationally recognized substrate scientist, the leader of the Beyond Peat project through the USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative, and the national S3 (Soilless Substrate Science) team which pursues advancements of the global substrate industry and development sustainable substrate materials and practices, including substrate stratification. Jeb is the editor for Nursery & Landscape Insider, a biweekly e-newsletter from Ball Publishing, that reaches over 32,000 stakeholders worldwide. For his efforts, he has been recognized with numerous awards, honors, and leadership positions. Prior to joining UF, Jeb was a professor and research station director with the LSU AgCenter. Jeb studied at UF for his B.S., NC State University for his M.S., and Virginia Tech for his Ph.D. – with all degrees focusing on production horticulture.

A soft-focus background of varying shades of green, suggesting grass, foliage, or a forest landscape.

Understanding Why Rose Rosetting Disease Appears in Distinct Regions of a Shrub Rose Plan

By Jennifer Gray • April 9, 2026

This webinar dives into the problem of rose rosette virus. Shrub roses consist of multiple canes attached to a root system and produce beautiful spring growth in the form of new flowering stems and branches. Experts will provide an overview of how rose rosette virus first attacks flowering growth and can move throughout the stem. At the same time rosette symptoms appear in mature distinct stems of a plant and may be absent from others. The research delves into understanding how the vascular system connects the flowering stems and above ground canes. The research is to understand how virus movement between adjacent stems and only appears to cause disease in a few but not all canes of the same plant. This research is important to explore potential management approaches to safeguard rose.

From Propagation to Consumers: HRI Research Powers Every Link in the Green Industry Supply Chain

By Jennifer Gray • March 24, 2026

The horticulture industry continues to change as new technologies, production practices, and consumer expectations reshape the marketplace. Research plays an essential role in helping growers, landscapers, and retailers adapt and succeed. That’s exactly where the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) enters the chat. Every year, HRI selects and funds research projects that advance horticulture. In 2026, HRI is investing more than $560,000 in 18 research projects that target challenges across the horticultural supply chain, including plant production, pest and disease management, landscape plant performance, and consumer insights. “What makes HRI research so valuable is that it focuses on real challenges the industry is facing right now,” said Mark Yelanich, HRI President and Research Director at Metrolina Greenhouses. “The 2026 HRI-funded projects were selected because they develop knowledge, processes, or tools that businesses can actually use.” HRI’s four strategic research priorities guide funding decisions, focusing on quantifying plant benefits, creating innovative solutions, gathering consumer insights, and producing practical solutions to industry challenges. The 2026 projects reflect these priorities across the horticulture supply chain.