|
01 April 2002 |
Devastating Our Native Dogwoods
By Lane Dellinger
Among the early spring-flowering trees, the dogwood, Cornus florida, is regarded by most Virginians as unrivaled in attractiveness either in its natural woodland habitat or in cultivated landscape gardens. However, dogwood anthracnose, (caused by Discula destructiva) has spread rapidly and caused serious losses in the overall dogwood population. Infection begins in the leaves and spreads to twigs and branches, which dieback. Main-stem infections cause cankers, which kill the trees. There are many suitable alternatives to our native flowering dogwood that have a similar effect in the landscape. But, these species have specific requirements for growth as all plants do. Consult a plant health care professional when choosing your landscape plants. For existing flowering dogwoods, anthracnose will intensify in the future. With aggressive treatment and preventative maintenance, the disease can be suppressed to a level that minimizes damage to the health and aesthetic value of the aristocrat of our flowering native trees. If you are interested in maintaining your dogwoods or need assistance selecting an alternative species, please call Lane Dellinger at Beauti-Scapes, Inc. @ 540-721-6752.
|
|
Last Updated ( 04 June 2007 )
|
