Dogwood anthracnose, caused by the fungus Discula destructiva, is also called lower branch dieback. Discula anthracnose appeared in the northeastern and northwestern United States in the early 1980s and spread into the Appalachian states in the late 1980s. This disease should not be confused with spot anthracnose.
Initial symptoms are medium-large lesions that vary from small, circular spots to irregularly shaped blotches. The purple bordered leaf spots and scorched tan blotches may enlarge to kill the entire leaf. Blighted leaves often cling to stems after normal leaf drop in fall. Trunk sprouts occur during latter stages of disease development. The fungus infects twigs and can grow down a limb and infect the main stem. Cankers that form on main stems can be detected when the bark is peeled back to reveal a distinct dark stain compared to healthy cambium tissue.
