Conservationists rush to save Georgia's colchis boxwood trees from extinction
An ancient plant that survived the Ice Age and became synonymous with the forests of the Caucasus region is now facing extinction.
Colchis boxwood or boxtree -- considered to be sacred in Georgia -- has been on the decline in recent years, prompting conservationists to increase their efforts to try and save the famous tree.
In recent years, diseases and pests have significantly damaged Colchis boxwood. Pests, which feed on the leaves and bark of boxwoods as they mature from larval caterpillars into moths, have defoliated thousands of acres of these ancient trees, from Russia down to Abkhazia and Georgia.
A single caterpillar can eat dozens of leaves during its development, with hundreds of caterpillars sometimes feeding on single bushes.
https://www.euronews.com/2022/04/23/conservationists-rush-to-save-georgia-s-colchis-boxwood-trees-from-extinction
