Dogwood Leaf Curl - Ask Extension
I bought a Cornus Kousa 'Satomi' dogwood from the Seaside Dennis Seven Dees in September 2019. I planted it last fall in part sun/shade with open sky ...
Knowledgebase
Dogwood Leaf Curl #631755
Asked May 05, 2020, 7:11 PM EDT
I bought a Cornus Kousa 'Satomi' dogwood from the Seaside Dennis Seven Dees in September 2019. I planted it last fall in part sun/shade with open sky above it. There is plenty of air circulation. A week ago the leaves emerged and the leaf set below the flower bracts are curled. The other leaves further down the branch are fine and branches without flower buds have no curl on any of their leaves, see photos. I see no signs of insects on upper or lower leaf surfaces. Could this be fungal? Location is Seaside Oregon.
Thanks in advance!
Mike Pierson
Clatsop County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi Mike.
From your photos it appears your dogwood has Leaf Scorch. Leaf Scorch and leaf roll result from stress. Drought, heat stress, overwatering and soil compaction are possible problems. Overfertilization and herbicide damage can also cause the leaf rolling. Leaf roll, minimizing leaf surface due to too much sun exposure or lack of water, is a protective reaction to stress. If you have rapidly draining soil, check that the soil is moist about 10" below the surface. If it is dry apply compost around the tree to help hold moisture when you water.
Dogwoods enjoy being an understory tree so too much direct sun exposure may also cause the leaves to roll.
Thank you for your question.
From your photos it appears your dogwood has Leaf Scorch. Leaf Scorch and leaf roll result from stress. Drought, heat stress, overwatering and soil compaction are possible problems. Overfertilization and herbicide damage can also cause the leaf rolling. Leaf roll, minimizing leaf surface due to too much sun exposure or lack of water, is a protective reaction to stress. If you have rapidly draining soil, check that the soil is moist about 10" below the surface. If it is dry apply compost around the tree to help hold moisture when you water.
Dogwoods enjoy being an understory tree so too much direct sun exposure may also cause the leaves to roll.
Thank you for your question.
