Dealing with Dogwood Diseases

Like many woody plants , dogwoods can be smite by disease . Fortunately , when correctly identified , most diseases can be treated with trivial fuss . buzz Best Dogwoods for Your Garden .

Powdery mildew

symptom : Starting in late spring , dark , on an irregular basis shaped , reddish brownish spots appear that can enlarge and coalesce over time . Eventually , white mycelial patches class . borderline and fore mortification develops .

impact species : C. floridais by far the most susceptible , whileC. kousais more repellent . C. officinalisandC. alternifoliaare extremely insubordinate . Most of the shrub species are middling susceptible , with motley clones on the face of it more susceptible in areas with stressful summertime condition .

Conditions : pitiful gentle wind circulation ; moisture ( drought ) stress ; accrual of septic leave on the ground around susceptible plants

Recommended actions : Regularly move out all fallen dust beneath infected plants , and burn or bag it . Do not compost infected debris . Prune densely fork plant to meliorate airflow . Through hot - and - dry months , furnish adequate irrigation ( habituate drip instead of overhead to minimise water droplets on leaves in the evening ) . works in partial nicety to reduce drouth and heat tenseness to plant . Plant resistant varieties .

Anthracnose

symptom : Spring leaf billet with tan center and purple - to - red/ brown margin appear . Necrosis to flip perimeter and tip develops , followed by leafstalk and stem dieback . Advanced cases display pregnant visible shoot sphacelus and sprouting of shoots at the base of the tree .

Impacted species : C. floridais most susceptible , followed byC. nuttallii(one of the parent of Venus ® ) andC. kousa . Species such asC. amomum , C. alternifolia , C. officinalis , C. mas , andC. sanguineaseem to be quite resistive .

Conditions : Poor air circulation ; areas with cool , moist bounce

recommend actions : While there are antifungal treatment that can lessen symptoms , the best treatment is to plant resistant varieties . Of flowering dogwood , the most resistant cultivar seem to be those in the Appalachian serial , peculiarly ‘ Appalachian Spring ’ . The others in the series all seem to be above average in anthracnose impedance . Fungicide applications at three - to - four - day intervals during leaf emergence can be in force at keep the disease .

Golden canker

symptom : Sunken patches of tan to bright orangish ( gold ) appear on branches . Branch dieback commonly occurs above canker .

impact metal money : C. alternifolia

weather condition : This one is a bit of a mystery . drouth - stress plants seem more susceptible , and strong-arm equipment casualty to bark may leave an entry point for fungal infection .

Recommended actions : prosperous canker rarely drink down whole plant . Prune away diseased branches . In austere contagion cases , cut the plant all the way to the terra firma and let it to resprout .

Dogwood botryosphaeria canker

symptom : Dark or sunken lesions appear on stems , usually at the flora root word . As wound enlarge , they can encircle and girdle stem , causing whole theme dieback .

Impacted specie : Most prevalent on shrub speciesC. sericeaand closely relatedC. alba , whileC. amomumandC. sanguineaare far less susceptible .

Conditions : Drought and heat tension increase potential for canker constitution . The thin barque of these species makes them highly susceptible because it is easily damaged by culprits such as drawstring trimmer and lawn mowers .

Recommended action : Avoid heating system and moisture focus , and eliminate physical harm to slight barque . This disease seldom kills plants . Prune out infected branch with disinfected pruners . In severe cases , curve the plant life all the way to the ground and allow it to resprout .

Paul E. Cappiello , Ph.D. , is the executive director of Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Crestwood , Kentucky , and a co - author ofDogwoods : The Genus Cornus .

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dogwood diseases

Photo: Melodie Putnam, © Oregon State University

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