Features The graceful yet compact shape and brilliant springtime blooms make this a favorite landscape tree throughout its range. The flowering dogwood is just about the finest flowering tree you can find. It is beautiful in all seasons and even though it is nearly ubiquitous in home landscapes, it never seems to be overplanted. In recent years, flowering dogwood has been severely impacted by dogwood blight, a fungus disease that can decimate natural populations. The disease was first discovered in the 1970's, and by the 90's it had spread throughout most of the dogwood's range.
Infected trees show small spots with purple margins on the leaves.
The disease eventually kills the leaves, and in 2-3 years the tree dies. Twig borers often infest flowering dogwood, killing the tips of young twigs.