Club gall can be controlled by pruning them out before August and destroying the prunings. Some other insects that might cause a few problems are, leaf miners, scales, aphids, and twig girdlers. Non of these insect will kill your dogwood tree. Several diseases may affect flowering dogwood. A large number of leaf spots attack dogwood.
Spot anthracnose is caused by a fungus that attacks the leaves, stems, flowers, and buds.
Severe infestations can prevent flower buds from opening, distort leaves, and weaken the tree. Dogwood Anthracnose also known as Discula Blight, which differs from spot Anthracnose, has received a lot of attention recently. To date, there have been no reports of Discula Blight in Florida. In states such as Tennessee where it has been reported, it affects and can kill trees located in the woods, in other total shade areas, and in some landscapes. Powdery mildew has been a problem in our area the past few years.