Dogwood Tree Leaves Curling Up
Numerous small shoots may grow from the trunk.
Dogwood tree leaves curling up. Unfortunately once the tree has been planted there isn t much you can do. There are any number of diseases and pests that can stress your dogwood and cause dogwood leaf drop. A variety of environmental stressors can cause an alarming curl known as leaf scorch in dogwood leaves. This is a serious fungal disease of dogwoods that is prevalent in states east of missouri.
Environmental disorders and infectious diseases may cause dogwood s leaves to cup and curl and can threaten the tree s health wherever it grows. It seemed to thrive initially. The tree usually dies in three to five years. Check twigs branches and trunk for cankers or swollen sunken areas.
It appears on dogwood leaves in late summer with purplish irregularly shaped spots that have small veins radiating from the center. The disease seldom kills the tree but it distorts the leaves late in the growing season. Examine the dogwood for dark or tarlike spots or curled wilted and distorted leaves. Curled wilted or distorted leaves along with dark or tarlike spots are common symptoms of dogwood anthracnose.
The disease discula destructiva causes leaf twig and branch dieback beginning in the lower part of the tree. Affected leaves turn yellow or brown along the edges and curl due to water stress. I recently planted a small 6 flowering dogwood tree on my front lawn. If you ve planted your dogwood tree in the last 2 3 years this is completely normal your tree simply hasn t gotten its roots system completely established.
Septoria cornicola is another fungus affecting dogwoods. A fungicide such chlorothalonil mancozeb will protect against leaf infections and needs to be applied before symptoms appear. These are common symptoms for dogwood. However the leaves are now curling and feel dry to the touch.
When leaves are falling off dogwood in summer it could mean a serious illness improper siting or cultivation problems. It is normal to see leaves falling in autumn but you should not see a dogwood tree dropping leaves in summer. The bark looks fine and the young branches appear to be a healthy light green near the leaves.