Dogwood Anthracnose Fact Sheet

Spot anthracnose appears as reddish purple spots on bracts of flowering dogwood.

Dogwood anthracnose fact sheet.

These diseases can be found throughout the eastern united states. The southern part of the state is included in the northern transitional zone where patches of. Sycamore ash maple oak and privet are especially susceptible. Other common landscape dogwoods such as.

Remove all pruned wood to reduce any. 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. It is a serious disease capable of killing large numbers of trees and most cornus species can become infected. Although wet weather tends to favor this disease temperature is the most important factor.

Discula dogwood anthracnose fact sheet january 1 2003. The causal agent is the fungus discula destructiva and as the name suggests this pathogen is highly. A few cases have been reported at lower elevations where dogwoods are grown in very cool moist shady locations. Dogwood powdery mildew has also become a recent major threat to dogwoods.

Plant pathology fact sheet flowering dogwood diseases figures 1 2. 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. Anthracnose than late blooming cultivars. The fungus discula destructiva causes dogwood anthracnose leaf blight and canker.

Dogwood anthracnose is most severe only in areas of the state that are higher than 2000 feet. It is also an important disease of pacific dogwood cornus nuttallii in the west. Dogwood anthracnose is a disease caused by the fungus discula destructiva. 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 discula destructiva is often described as the most serious disease that affects dogwood species specifically flowering cornus florida and mountain c. 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. If daily temperatures average above 60 f at bud break anthracnose is usually not severe. The mildew which often causes a.

Anthracnose of trees and shrubs. The disease was first noticed on the flowering dogwoods in new york and connecticut in 1978 1 and on mountain dogwoods. Nuttallii dogwood species in the united states. Kousa is also susceptible to infection but is highly resistant to the disease and typically suffers only minor leaf spotting.

University of kentucky college of agriculture food environment extension plant pathology ppfs or w 06 college of agriculture food and environment.