Dogwood Tree Diseases Anthracnose

Apply a fungicide during bud break to protect new flowers twigs and foliage.

Dogwood tree diseases anthracnose. Dogwood anthracnose is a problematic disease that all dogwood owners must take seriously. 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. It is caused by the discula fungus. Kousa and hybrids of kousa and native dogwood c.

Anthracnose disease spreads very quickly and it is critical to identify it during its nascent stage. Dogwood anthracnose discula anthracnose. This disease propagates quickly in cool slightly wet conditions that are associated with the late spring and fall season. It causes dieback or even death of infected trees.

Anthracnose is a term applied to an array of fungal diseases that affect shade trees. Rake and destroy fallen leaves. Different fungi target different tree species. Kousa is also susceptible to infection but is highly resistant to the disease and typically suffers only minor leaf spotting.

Dogwood anthracnose discula destructiva is a damaging disease that attacks various species of dogwoods. The initial symptoms appear as medium to large purple bordered leaf spots and scorched tan blotches. Generally a tree infected with dogwood anthracnose will develop dark spots with a tar like appearance on. The fungi that cause it mostly from the family gnomoniaceae vary depending on the tree species.

Dogwood anthracnose infects flowering cornus florida and pacific dogwoods c. 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. Florida are resistant to anthracnose and decline and should be used to replace dying trees. Protect trees from drought stress winter injury and dogwood borer attack.

Anthracnose can affect the buds of a tree early in the season before it has grown any leaves. In wet weather these spots can rapidly enlarge and kill the entire leaf. In the past anthracnose was the most serious disease of dogwoods in the landscape and our forests but it is now less common. Shade trees commonly affected by anthracnose are ash dogwood elm hickory maple oak sycamore and walnut.

The early symptoms begin in mid to late may as leaf spots with tan or purple borders. This is a relatively new disease of dogwood in south carolina and it is caused by the fungus discula destructiva. The infection is manifested in the form of leaf spots and stem cankers. Dogwood anthracnose is most severe only in areas of the state that are higher than 2000 feet.