Greetings Growers! I seem to be having a problem with my pink dogwood tree. I've attached photos. History: tree was doing fine until about 2-3 years ago when a new home was built next door. They removed the forest and now there is a LOT more light. Thinking it might be light-related, I just waited for the tree to adapt. Thing is, it's just not flourishing like it should. Sometimes I wonder if it's dead, yet the sparse amount of flowering tells me SOMEthing is alive. I noticed some yellow/orange stuff on the branches (see photos). I also noticed some brown stuff. Of course there's also a bit of gray lichen and even some moss. We've recently cleared out a ring around the base and have pulled out the St John's wort there. Then we gave it some well-aged horse manure and some more water. Usually, we have Nature water it for us here in the Pacific Northwest. So...what's up with this tree? Any clues? TIA Dr Carl
There is some kind of dogwood blight that is steadily decimating Cornus florida in the mid-Atlantic states, perhaps elsewhere also. I know some folks that have just given up on this species -- though I believe there are supposed to be some resistant varieties being bred. I don't know much more than that, but it shouldn't be too hard to google around for more information. It's possible that the neighbors removing the tree cover caused a shock to the tree, which in turn left it weakened and susceptible to some kind of disease that it had been successfully resisting until then.
