Native Dogwoods Mostly Gone in the Forest

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dogwood

Dogwood anthracnose was first diagnosed in 1978. Since then it has basically wiped out the dogwood in the forests of Western North Carolina. A few survivors can still be found here and these in the mountains but for the most part these are few and far between. This arboricultural tragedy has been mostly forgotten.

The Dogwood anthracnose fungus infects wood creating a canker which eventually causes plant death. Plants in moist shady areas were particularly susceptible. This includes the dogwood of the mountains. Dead dogwood stems still stand in many areas.

dogwood spot anthracnose

Spot anthracnose is not fatal to dogwoods. It can however make plants look ugly during wet summers.

Look Alike

Do not confuse Dogwood anthracnose with Spot anthracnose. Spot anthracnose disease is not fatal to dogwoods. It does cause a severe leaf spot and leaf crinkling during wet years.

Powdery mildew can crinkle up leaves as well. Control of these diseases is very difficult with fungicides requiring spraying every 7-10 days during the growing season. The best thing to do is keep the plants healthy through proper care and to remove the infected fallen leaves.

powdery mildew dogwood

Powdery mildew fungus causes dogwood leaves to crinkle.

Proper planting and care can help dogwoods in the landscape survive. Proper planting, adequate but not excessive mulching, avoiding too much sun, watering during drought and fertilizing can help trees fight diseases. Using Spot anthracnose resistant varieties is important.

***update – I received a question recently. The client was wondering why powdery mildew seems more prevalent today than in the past. My answer: “The powdery mildew fungus that attacks dogwoods has always been around as far as I know. The species, Erysiphe pulchra, is not listed as an invasive organism. My suspicion is that dogwoods have always been susceptible but because we plant dogwoods outside of their preferred situation, they get stressed and are therefore more susceptible to all kinds of health issues.

Dogwoods naturally grow in the shade of forest trees and on forest edges enjoying protection from the hot sun. In natural situations dogwoods do not seem to suffer from powdery mildew because they are not stressed. It is when we place them out in open spaces where the soil is too hot they get stressed. Root temperature is an overlooked stressor of trees as are poor planting practices, over-mulching, soil compaction from heavy mowers, etc.

There are two diseases that unfortunately contain the name anthracnose. This leads to confusion. Dogwood anthracnose is the one that killed off higher elevation dogwoods in their natural settings. Spot Anthracnose is the one that makes landscape dogwoods ugly in the summer time with leaf and petal spots and twisted leaves. The lethal dogwood anthracnose did its damage and is mostly gone as far as I know. The less lethal spot anthracnose is still an annual problem especially in wet years. I still see a few natural dogwoods in the forests at our elevation of 2000 ft but not at higher elevations.”

From NC Plants

Cultivars / Varieties:

  • ‘Appalachian Blush’
  • ‘Appalachian Spring’
    white flowers
  • ‘Cherokee Brave’
    Red flowers, resistant to powdery mildew, moderately resistant to spot anthracnose
  • ‘Cherokee Chief’
    Red flowers, resistant to spot anthracnose
  • ‘Cherokee Daybreak’
    Variegated foliage, highly susceptible to spot anthracnose
  • ‘Cherokee Princess’
    White flowers, highly susceptible to spot anthracnose
  • ‘Cherokee Sunset’
    variegated foliage
  • ‘Cloud 9’
    white flowers
  • ‘Double White’
    Moderately resistant to powdery mildew and spot anthracnose
  • ‘Pringlei’
  • ‘Pygmy’
    dwarf cultivar
  • ‘Rubra’
    Pink flowers, moderately resistant to spot antracnose
  • ‘Sweetwater’
    red flowers
  • ‘Weaver’s White’
    Resistant to spot anthracnose
  • ‘Welch’s Bay Beauty’
    Resistant to spot anthracnose

dogwood flower

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