Dogwood Anthracnose - Dogwood Anthracnose Disease

by Craig R. Hibben

One of America's favorite native ornamentals has been under siege. A virulent fungal disease has cause dieback and mortality in two of our indigenous dogwoods, flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) in the East and mountain dogwood (Cornus nuttallii) in the Pacific Northwest. Today, after almost two decades of research, scientists are making headway against this destructive new disease, called dogwood anthracnose. We now know what conditions or habitats seem to inhibit the spread of the disease, and scientists have developed a management plan to help gardeners protect their favorite trees. Although the origin of the pathogen has not yet been definitively established, much has been learned and today research programs are underway to develop disease-resistant selections of dogwood.

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