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Native Dogwood trees, having a Leaf spot issue #903497

Asked May 29, 2025, 4:12 PM EDT

I live on 40 acres in Lane County. There are many old dogwood trees on my land. This year they are suffering from something on their leaves, which are turning yellow and dropping off in great numbers. Photos attached.

Lane County Oregon

Expert Response

What a shame that these mature dogwoods are so infected! There's a good chance that it is dogwood anthracnose, which our native dogwoods are, unfortunately, quite susceptible to. However the leaf damage doesn't quite follow the classic anthracnose pattern, so it could be a different leaf-spotting fungus.
Would you check the twigs and branches of infected leaves, and look for any canker-like blotches or sunken areas? Are any of the branches dying back?
Also inspect the underside of infected leaves for any dots or specks that could be a source of spores. Send pictures if you can.
Do you recall if there was any spotting or dieback of the flowers? Has this appeared in previous years?
Here are a few references:
https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/dogwood-cornus-spp-anthracnose
https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/dogwood-cornus-spp-leaf-spots
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/dogwood-anthracnose/
Signe Danler, Online Home Horticulture Instructor Replied May 29, 2025, 4:41 PM EDT

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