Anthracnose Dogwood Tree Leaves Curling

Leaf scorch is a common problem in dogwood tress and a sign that your tree is under water stress.

Anthracnose dogwood tree leaves curling. Department of agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 9 depending on species. Kousa dogwood cornus kousa which grows in usda zones 5 through 8 typically shows higher disease. Treat with copper based. The many graceful shapes of dogwoods cornus spp are known throughout u s.

The dogwood cornaceae family is a hardy tree with various cultivars and species. Other dogwood diseases such as those caused by septoria cornicola species pathogens may also show leaf spotting symptoms similar to anthracnose but they do not cause cupped or curled leaves. When a dogwood tree does not receive adequate water the leaves of the tree begin to dry with the. Brown or black lesions on leaves stems flowers fruits and other plant parts may be symptoms of anthracnose.

How to treat a dogwood with leaf wilt. If you have a dogwood showing significant leaf curl throughout the summer 5 years or longer beyond when you planted it keep. The leaves are cupping up on my dogwood. The term anthracnose refers to a group of fungal diseases that can affect a wide range of plant species trees as well as shrubs both ornamentals and edibles and also garden crops.

Cornus anthracnose is a fungal disease caused by discula destructiva which arrived in the uk from north america in the late 1990s. This disease can spread up the leaf stem and infect the twigs bark and trunk eventually killing the tree if left untreated. Leaf curl on dogwoods is essentially a protective reaction to stress the tree feels. What is cornus anthracnose.

Dogwood anthracnose is the most common disease that affects dogwood trees. But you can rest assured your tree won t look disfigured forever if you keep up with fungicide applications to keep your tree from being reinfected the next spring the new growth will be. Symptoms begin on leaf borders with purplish blotches that eventually cover the leaf. It infects and kills the leaves and young shoots of some north american cornus species dogwoods cornus florida is particularly susceptible cornus nuttallii and cornus kousa may also be attacked.

But not all anthracnose is created equal. Curled wilted or distorted leaves along with dark or tarlike spots are common symptoms of dogwood anthracnose. However the damage that is already done to the tree s leaves and stems can not be reversed which is why prevention is so important when it comes to fungal diseases especially dogwood anthracnose. Drought and winter injuries weaken trees and the anthracnose fungus mostly attacks during the cool wet spring and fall weather but it can occur during any season.

Rather than keep its leaves flat and susceptible to burning in the summer sun dogwoods curl their leaves to minimize leaf surface area and thus minimize any damage they might receive.