Thank you - I was not able to load up any photos.  

Hi, 

We would really need some photos to try to be able to diagnose the trees health and potential issues but we can try to give you some general guidance. 

You can try to follow the tips for submitting photos, but if you are not able to, you can also paste them into the text of a response email. Just make sure they are 1megabite or larger so we can see them clearly.

If you can't you can also visit your local extension office in Montgomery County to show them and they can either help or help you send the photos to us. 

Being that the Dogwood is under the maple tree, have you been supplementing irrigation? Last year much of central Maryland was in a long drought through the spring and summer and right now with the high temperatures the minimal rain fall we have had, cannot penetrate deep enough to the roots before it evaporates out of the soil. 

Supplementing water about 1-2 times a week by letting your hose run on a slow trickle and putting it at the bas of the tree to trickle into the ground for about 20-30 minutes will ensure that the entire root area is receiving water. Especially since it is under a maple or in the general root zone, the maple will be sucking up a lot of the ground water after a rain event due to its larger and more extensive root system. Tips for Watering Trees and Shrubs

Dogwoods don't particularly thrive in full sun. Generally they are more of a morning sun and afternoon shade plant. Are the leaves getting scorched? 

Flowering dogwoods, the native varieties, do come with some problems like leaf spots and powdery mildew. Kousa dogwoods tend to have less issues with these. Do you know what kind it is? One way to tell is if it has flowers in the spring  before the leaves emerge, or after. Also do you see any fruit on it? Is it large red berries the size of a big grape or small clusters of red berries? 

You can also explore the photos and information on our diagnostic page for Common Dogwood Problems to see if anything looks similar to your dogwood. 

Emily

Thank you so much for the information.  

Thank you for sharing the photos. Unfortunately, seeing the current condition of the tree, we do not think it will recover, as it appears to be already dead or so weakened it would not regrow. What caused the decline is hard to determine once the tree has deteriorated to this point. If stressed in a prior year, wood-boring insects could have targeted it and caused internal trunk damage, which can lead to branch dieback because the insects are destroying tissues under the bark that move sap around the tree, and might also interfere with water transport as well. If anything damaged the tree's roots in the past several years, like digging for utility work, construction, or exposure to certain weed killer herbicides, then a loss of roots may also have pushed the tree over the edge of its tolerances for stress.

If you wish to replant a new tree, dogwoods thrive in locations that emulate the edge of the woods, where they get some shade and some sun in summer (about half-and-half, but it's not critical) and soil that retains moisture but which drains well. (So, for example, where it would not grow close to a roof downspout outlet, at least for avoiding extra wetness in years with rainier weather.) Dogwoods are not very drought-tolerant, so in years with low rainfall (this year and last), they benefit from occasional irrigation.

If the dogwood was indeed planted in the '60s, then it might have also declined due to old age, though plants like these don't really have a set life span, and dogwoods can be long-lived for a small tree. (Compared to, say, flowering plums and cherries, which more often only live about 20-30 years before declining.) It looks like it achieved a great size in that time, and perhaps it just reached a point where decline was inevitable if stress became too great.

Miri

Oh my gosh, I'm so heartbroken.  It's amazing how attached I got to this beautiful tree.  Every year I looked forward to Spring because of the dogwood!  If it weren't for your beautiful and thoughtful response I think I'd be crying.  I appreciate the education.  And now it's time to focus on next steps here at the Vozobule house.  

You're welcome, and we're sorry to be the bearers of bad news. 
There is no harm in keeping the debris from tree removal on-site if you prefer (plus if it saves on removal fees), because it won't put other trees at risk. The branches could be used as a brush pile for wildlife and/or the wood chips make a great mulch or addition to a compost pile.

Miri

Thank you, I understand, sounds like a great plan.