Cornus florida outdoes itself

Couldn't resist sharing my flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, which has really outdone itself this year. There is no question that the cool, rainy weather in May has fostered an amazing display of flowering trees and shrubs; what remains to be seen is whether a host of fungal diseases will follow.

Cornus florida is something of an endangered species in the wild as well as in cultivation, due to the devastating effects of anthracnose infection. C. florida is native to the southern Appalachian highlands and as far north as New Hampshire, commonly found as an understory tree on the edge of the forest. But the glorious clouds of white that once lined the roads of Connecticut and other states have largely disappeared and in their place are the blackened stumps of anthracnose-killed trees. Anthracnose is a fungal disease, imported into the US on plant material in the early 1900's.

Anthracnose has been reported on the West End of Portland. C. florida is marginally hardy here, and should only be planted very close to the coast, in a sheltered location, preferably in the partial shade of larger trees. To prevent anthracnose, make sure the tree is not crowded and gets plenty of air circulation, and water during periods of drought. If the disease strikes your dogwood, pruning out diseased branches and a fungicide may prolong its life.