HELP! My Dogwood looks sad! This Dogwood came with the house. I’m guessing it’s 20-30 years old. It blooms every year still, but the leaves are sparse and it has many dead branches. Last year I pruned all the dead branches I could reach myself. How do I revive this tree? I attached some photos… Thank you for any advice you can give.
Certainly the rhodo and hosta look good (photo) So would you think it might be the tree itself (ie not the soil) Thé sidewalk concrete looks new - do cornus roots spread wide and far?
At first I thought maybe the dogwood wasn't getting enough water but the lawn and other nearby plants look well hydrated. Now, remembering all we're discussing lately on these forums about girdling roots, I can't help but wonder if that could be a factor . . . but there's no way to know without digging up the tree . . . and that alone would most certainly kill it.
It appears to have moss growing well on its bark (hard to see in pic but looks like it) To me - for a dogwood - that’s not normal healthy .... What do you think @Margot I used to live in metro PDX and one climate issue that arises is the sudden cold outflow from the east toward west fro the Columbia River Gorge (same happens in Howe Sound BC etc) So maybe the tree has been frosted in the past I think if it was my tree - I would cut my losses - literally Then again - I am not a patient gardener - my approach is ... if it ain’t happy - give it away or move it (assuming it’s not disease)
I look forward to those more knowledgeable than I am to weigh in on possible causes and cures for this dogwood tree's problems. If this were my garden, I would agree with @Georgia Strait 's tough love approach and 'cut' my losses. Instead of trying to plant another tree in the same space, I would choose to plant a replacement in a large, barrel-size container.
