Dogwood Anthracnose in Northeastern United States. C. R. Hibben, Brooklyn Botanic Garden Research Center, Ossining, NY 10562. M. L. Daughtrey, Long Island Horticultural Research Laboratory, Cornell University, Riverhead, NY 11901. Plant Dis. 72:199-203. Accepted for publication 25 September 1987. Copyright 1988 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-72-0199.

Native flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) in parts of the northeastern United States have shown increasing dieback and mortality since the late 1970s. Symptoms consist of spots, necrotic blotches, and blight of the leaves; cankers; epicormic branching; and dieback beginning in the lower branches. From the identification of associated fungi, isolations from infected leaves and stems, and inoculation of healthy dogwoods, a fungus in the genus Discula was identified as the primary causal agent. Postinfection stresses may have intensified tree decline.