Young Dogwood Tree Leaves Curling

Dogwoods very commonly exhibit curled leaves in summer so chances are you don t have too much to worry about.

Young dogwood tree leaves curling. A variety of environmental stressors can cause an alarming curl known as leaf scorch in dogwood leaves. On the trunk and. Environmental disorders and infectious diseases may cause dogwood s leaves to cup and curl and can threaten the tree s health wherever it grows. I recently planted a small 6 flowering dogwood tree on my front lawn.

However the leaves are now curling and feel dry to the touch. Leaf scorch is a common problem in dogwood tress and a sign that your tree is under water stress. This infection distorts the tissue of the leaves forcing it to curl and will eventually. If you ve planted your dogwood tree in the last 2 3 years this is completely normal your tree simply hasn t gotten its roots system completely established.

Affected leaves turn yellow or brown along the edges and curl due to water stress. The entire leaf is eventually engulfed turns brown and black then withers. It seemed to thrive initially. Drought and winter injuries weaken trees and the anthracnose fungus mostly attacks during the cool wet spring and fall weather but it can occur during any season.

The first sign of infection can often be seen on the leaves where you might see tan spots that develop purple rims. Blight begins with small brown centered gray spots that appear on leaf surfaces and distort leaf growth. Leaves may also have necrotic veins and leaf margins and large necrotic blotches. Another indication is what s known as twig die back and this in turn often results in the appearance of succulent shoots on the lower trunk and main branches of affected trees.

Ascochyta cornicola is a fungus that appears on dogwood foliage after unusually rainy springs attacking new leaves as they emerge. It is normal to see leaves falling in autumn but you should not see a dogwood tree dropping leaves in summer. When leaves are falling off dogwood in summer it could mean a serious illness improper siting or cultivation problems. There are any number of diseases and pests that can stress your dogwood and cause dogwood leaf drop.

Curled wilted or distorted leaves along with dark or tarlike spots are common symptoms of dogwood anthracnose. The bark looks fine and the young branches appear to be a healthy light green near the leaves.