Disease is often most severe on young leaves and green shoots. The first symptoms of dogwood anthracnose are typically tan spots with a purple border on the leaves. Once you have identified the specific bark disease affecting your dogwood, treat accordingly and use preventive measures to keep future diseases at bay. Infected leaves exhibit marginal leaf scorch, dead patches, reddish discoloration, yellowing and premature defoliation. Other dogwood tree diseases and pests include: Basal trunk canker; Mistletoe; Root rot; Powdery mildew; Sooty mold; Many of these insect and disease conditions can weaken the tree and lead to tree … Look for reddish-purple spots in early spring. It is popular in home and commercial landscaping because of the early spring flowers and bright red berries. Two different fungi cause powdery mildew in dogwood: Erysiphe pulchra (formerly known as Microsphaera pulchra, asexual stage Oidium sp.) is susceptible to several problems, including diseases that attack its bark, causing varying degrees of damage. All the dogwood trees in this development have bark that is peeling leaving a white subbark. A severe infection will cause flower bracts to fall prematurely. Raking this debris from underneath and around the dogwood will reduce the chance of pests and problems. Dogwoods are finicky when it comes to watering. The western redbud (Cercis occidentalis) grows in USDA zones 7 to 9. Fungi thrive in cool, wet weather and prevention is the best cure. When the girdling is complete the tree will die. Dogwood anthracnose is caused by Discula destructiva, a fungus that was first noted in the 1970s in Pennsylvania and New York. Seridium canker was first described in the mid-20s on Monterey cypress in California. Eventually, as with other cankers, the cankers grow around the entire trunk and kill the tree. What is less well known is that - with age - the Kousa Dogwood develops exquisite exfoliating bark characters. The tissue beneath the bark breaks dormancy during the day, then freezes during the night, resulting in an elongated wound that appears discolored and sunken. When planting new dogwood, there are several steps to help prevent bark diseases. University of California Integrated Pest Management Program: Dogwood -- Cornus Spp. It might also cause epicormic branches to form on the trunk and some of the larger branches. Rots result in slowed growth, gradual decline, branch dieback and threaten the life of the dogwood. Spot Anthracnose – This dogwood disease attacks flower bracts (petals) eventually spreading to leaves, shoots and fruit. It is commonly seen on dogwoods in areas with poor drainage. Figure 6 -- Dogwood stem with symptomatic epicormic shoots. 2 Water your flowering dogwood well. Initial infection could have entered through transplanting wounds or through wounds caused by insects, animals, lawn mowers, sunscald or weed whips. To head off fungal diseases, plant dogwood trees with enough space between them and other plants so that air can circulate around the tree. Tree Bark Disease INSECTS, DISEASES & WEEDS What Causes Bark To Peel On Lilac White Oak Bark Yeast Infection Guide Cankers, Diebacks, And Wilts Cornelian Cherry (Cornus Mas), An Early Bloomer For Thumbs Of All Colors: November 2010 Dogwood Twig Borer (Oberea Tripunctata ) On Flowering Cornus Officinalis (Japanese Cornel Dogwood… Dogwood anthracnose is caused by Discula destructiva, a fungus that was first noted in the 1970s in Pennsylvania and New York. The dogwood does not need to be pruned, except in the spring and throughout the growing season to remove dead and decaying wood and plant matter. One of the very common diseases of dogwood trees is the dogwood anthracnose which is caused by the fungus Discula sp. It, too, is a fungus disease that eventually girdles the bark and kills the tree. Be sure to select a good site in the yard. Even in winter, this bare tree is interesting to look at, with an attractively shaped skeleton and mottled gray-brown bark. When pruning, always sanitize the shears between cuts and only cut into healthy wood. The dogwood does not need to be pruned, except in the spring and throughout the growing season to remove dead and decaying wood and plant matter. If any trees are contaminated, they will infect other trees and plants in the landscape. In the Midwest, this is a hardier substitute for the acid-loving flowering dogwood. Dogwoods are native ornamental trees. Similarly, the growth of these different substances on tree bark will do no harm to the tree. She has an Associate of Science (paralegal) from Manchester Community College and studied computer science, criminology and education at University of Tampa. The dogwood, while common in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9, is most common in North Carolina. A particular kind of canker disease called the Diffuse Canker is typical to dogwoods. It does not seem normal . The disease is serious and results in tree death. It, too, is a fungus disease that eventually girdles the bark and kills the tree. Different cultivars, as well as different species and hybrids, offer a variety of flower and plant characteristics. Eventually, as with other cankers, the cankers grow around the entire trunk and kill the tree. Eventually, the disease spread throughout the Appalachian Mountains, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. Do not replant a dogwood in the same area and always protect the base of trees from damage. The versatile dogwood (Cornus spp.) Don’t bring disease home! 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