Hi!

The scorched leaves of your dogwood are symptoms indicating the tree is stressed, probably due to an establishment problem. Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is a native forest understory tree found naturally in partial shade with moist soil. If planted in full sun, it might be getting too hot and dry to thrive. Ensure the tree is properly mulched and watered, taking care to keep the mulch about 3 inches away from the base of the trunk. This will help to moderate the soil temperature and conserve soil moisture, as well as prevent lawn equipment injuries that can invite disease and pests. 

Jamie

I disagree.We had two identical trees planted abut 25 feet apart. Both were planted by the same reputable nursery. Both in the same growing conditions as far as light and both properly mulched.  They have only been in the ground since late October of 2021.  I will admit maybe a little too much sun, but the other tree is fine.  The brown line on the leaves is perfectly perpendicular to the center leaf vein and only half way up.  Since the other tree is fine I am skeptical about your diagnosis. We also have a third tree of the same variety that was planted at the same time and while it probably gets a little more shade it is also fine.  Can you possibly consider a  different diagnosis.

Thanks

Hi!

Dogwoods can tolerate full sun but the stress may eventually weaken them and increase their vulnerability to pest or disease issues down the road. The more immediate problem is the lack of establishment you addressed in your reply. Root health can vary from individual tree to individual tree, even though nurseries grow their crops in relatively uniform conditions, and there's no way of knowing the condition of each tree's roots upon planting unless the plant was bare-rooted. (Unlikely; very few installers do this.)

This tree may have been in poorer condition than the other two prior to planting, or may be in a site where the soil holds more water (or dries faster); judging soil drainage by surface conditions alone is not reliable and any number of subsurface obstacles to root growth can be undetected when plants are installed. These are not the symptoms of an above-ground infection, nor that of a pest.

It wasn't mentioned how the tree was planted (container vs ball and burlap, roots loosened, proper planting depth?) so this also could have caused the poor performance of this individual tree compared to the others. It's a frequent occurrence that nursery-grown trees wind-up too deep in their pots (or burlap) by the time they're ready for sale. Just because one tree develops symptoms from this (if that's the reason) doesn't mean the other two will evade issues down the line.