Box is prone to various maladies, with areas of discoloration frequently being seen - try presenting samples of affected areas - including ones not yet dead - to your nearest USDA Cooperative Extension Service branch office for diagnosis.
This spray (?) pattern is isolated to one spot in my hedge. I suspect deer as they have been dining in my garden. It appears dead. Do I need to replace the boxwood shrub or will this regenerate from the twigs, will it rebud? How long should I give it?
Deer do not lift their legs to relieve themselves so I think you can rule them out as the culprit - if indeed this caused by urine. Sorry, I cannot say whether the brown area will fill in over time with new leaves but I would give it a year before doing anything drastic . . . it would take a long time for a new plant to reach the same size.
I was thinking along the lines of spray from anal glands....not sure exactly when they are "in season" but there have been a number of young bucks congregating. Anyway, thank you for the advice to take a year leave it be and hope for regeneration. A relaxed approach!
Aye, if it was a cat, it'd have to be . . . well, what cat could wee down on the top of a hedge half a metre high? A Tiger? :o) Could a visiting workman have tossed an unwanted mug of hot tea/coffee over it?
