Why do my dogwoods (Cornus florida) keep dying?

For years now I have been planting various color dogwoods, but after a year or two they all seem to die. They usually don't make it through the winter. Some of these dogwoods tend to get a whitish powdery residue on the leaves in late summer. Do you know why they are dying and is there anything I can do to prevent it from reoccurring?

Answer

If you are having problems with Cornus Florida it may be the growing conditions causing Powdery mildew, which is most common in dense, shady areas where the air circulation is poor. Warm, dry days and cool, damp nights favor disease development. More information on this disease is available from Clemson University Extension here.

 

Have you grown:

Cornus kousa; common name Kousa Dogwood (family Cornaceae)

Features:

A small, vase-shaped tree with horizontal branching

Mottled exfoliating bark

Pointed bract tips in comparison to the rounded bract tips of C. florida

Blooms about 2 or 3 weeks after C. florida

Red, raspberry-like fruits

Flower buds pointed and shaped like and onion

 

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service

 

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  • Last Updated Jan 10, 2025
  • Views 224
  • Answered By Anita Finkle

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