Dogwood Tree Diseases Anthracnose

Dogwood anthracnose is a problematic disease that all dogwood owners must take seriously.

Dogwood tree diseases anthracnose. In wet weather these spots can rapidly enlarge and kill the entire leaf. Dogwood anthracnose is most severe only in areas of the state that are higher than 2000 feet. Florida are resistant to anthracnose and decline and should be used to replace dying trees. Generally a tree infected with dogwood anthracnose will develop dark spots with a tar like appearance on.

The infection is manifested in the form of leaf spots and stem cankers. One of the very common diseases of dogwood trees is the dogwood anthracnose which is caused by the fungus discula sp. Anthracnose can affect the buds of a tree early in the season before it has grown any leaves. Kousa is also susceptible to infection but is highly resistant to the disease and typically suffers only minor leaf spotting.

Dogwood anthracnose infects flowering cornus florida and pacific dogwoods c. The initial symptoms appear as medium to large purple bordered leaf spots and scorched tan blotches. It is caused by the discula fungus. Shade trees commonly affected by anthracnose are ash dogwood elm hickory maple oak sycamore and walnut.

Anthracnose disease spreads very quickly and it is critical to identify it during its nascent stage. Sycamore oak especially white oaks maple ash walnut and dogwood are especially vulnerable to anthracnose which may cause leaf and shoot blight defoliation and twig dieback. Dogwood anthracnose discula destructiva is a damaging disease that attacks various species of dogwoods. Apply a fungicide during bud break to protect new flowers twigs and foliage.

In the past anthracnose was the most serious disease of dogwoods in the landscape and our forests but it is now less common. It causes dieback or even death of infected trees. Dogwood anthracnose discula anthracnose. Rake and destroy fallen leaves.

Different fungi target different tree species. The fungi that cause it mostly from the family gnomoniaceae vary depending on the tree species. Dogwoods are extremely common in landscapes around the area which causes this disease to spread easily throughout landscape dogwoods and cause disfigurement of foliage each year. The anthracnose disease affects flowering varieties of dogwoods like the pacific dogwood.

The early symptoms begin in mid to late may as leaf spots with tan or purple borders. Protect trees from drought stress winter injury and dogwood borer attack. The shoots are also killed in this disease. This is a relatively new disease of dogwood in south carolina and it is caused by the fungus discula destructiva.