Dogwood Anthracnose Fact Sheet

For trees diagnosed with dogwood anthracnose carefully prune out all dying and dead twigs and limbs to prevent the disease from spreading to the main trunk.

Dogwood anthracnose fact sheet.

It is a serious disease capable of killing large numbers of trees and most cornus species can become infected. Kousa is also susceptible to infection but is highly resistant to the disease and typically suffers only minor leaf spotting. It is also an important disease of pacific dogwood cornus nuttallii in the west. The mildew which often causes a.

The disease was first noticed on the flowering dogwoods in new york and connecticut in 1978 1 and on mountain dogwoods. The southern part of the state is included in the northern transitional zone where patches of. These diseases can be found throughout the eastern united states. The causal agent is the fungus discula destructiva and as the name suggests this pathogen is highly.

The fungus discula destructiva causes dogwood anthracnose leaf blight and canker. Plant pathology fact sheet flowering dogwood diseases figures 1 2. Dogwood anthracnose discula destructiva is often described as the most serious disease that affects dogwood species specifically flowering cornus florida and mountain c. Anthracnose diseases are caused by fungi that are capable of infecting stems branches leaves and fruits of a wide variety of deciduous trees and shrubs.

Spot anthracnose appears as reddish purple spots on bracts of flowering dogwood. Other common landscape dogwoods such as. Cool weather 50 to 55 f average daily temperature during leaf bud break and emergence greatly favors disease development whether it is wet or dry. Dogwood anthracnose is a disease caused by the fungus discula destructiva.

Dogwood anthracnose dogwood anthracnose is considered the most serious disease of flowering dogwood cornus florida in connecticut and the eastern seaboard. Remove all pruned wood to reduce any. A few cases have been reported at lower elevations where dogwoods are grown in very cool moist shady locations. University of kentucky college of agriculture food environment extension plant pathology ppfs or w 06 college of agriculture food and environment.

Anthracnose of trees and shrubs. Dogwood anthracnose is most severe only in areas of the state that are higher than 2000 feet. Nuttallii dogwood species in the united states. For this reason it can be beneficial to plant your dogwood in late spring when warm temperatures will kill the fungus which thrives in cooler wet weather.

The native flowering dogwood cornus florida is a popular ornamental tree that thrives well in the warmer areas of new hampshire. Discula dogwood anthracnose fact sheet january 1 2003. Dogwood powdery mildew has also become a recent major threat to dogwoods. If daily temperatures average above 60 f at bud break anthracnose is usually not severe.

Although wet weather tends to favor this disease temperature is the most important factor.