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Contaminated Wreaths Sold in Indiana12-19-17 | News

Contaminated Wreaths Sold in Indiana
This Christmas Be Careful When Purchasing Decorations

Wreaths date back as far as the fourth century B.C. when they were made of gold, or other precious metals, and used as adornments for kings and queens. Today, wreaths are a common decoration throughout the world and are usually made from flowers, roots, twigs and leaves.

Over 500 infected Christmas wreaths were sold in Evansville, Indiana by a local Boy Scout troop. The wreaths, which were shipped in from a nursery in North Carolina, were carrying a fungus known to cause boxwood blight.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is requesting anyone who purchased a wreath from Troop 399 in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church parking lot on West Franklin Street to place the wreath in two plastic garbage bags and promptly return it. The troop is offering a full refund until December 17.

Local officials request that anyone who bought one of these wreaths should leave their name, contact number and address in order for the Indiana DNR to follow up this summer with those who may have been affected by boxwood blight.

Boxwood blight has been found in North America and Europe and can have disastrous effects on all boxwood species. In order to limit the possibility of purchasing a wreath, or plant, afflicted by boxwood blight be sure to carefully examine the stems and leaves of the plant while looking for dark or light brown spots and lesions on the leaves.

To read a more in-depth article related to boxwood blight regarding how to identify it and prevent spreading, click here.