Reaching out to this brain trust once again for help! This is an Cornus Arctic Fire (red twig dogwood) that I planted three years ago, it’s been thriving up until this spring. What is wrong with it, what’s the culprit and how can I help it?
HV NY Zone 5
These pictures are recent, end of July, and all the leaf growth is weird and stunted.
by birdnerd3849
3 Comments
Looks like it is stunted growth- has the watering changed? Could maybe use some fertilizer to help jump start it. I would cut it back next early spring and hopefully that helps.
I use dogwood stakes for restoration projects. Try cutting it back during the fall, otherwise leave it and see what shakes out.
Shriveled contorted stunted leaves in a “witches broom” -like grouping all over the shrub reminds me of herbicide damage. There are lots of other reasons why your cornus looks this way. Disease, insects and genetic mutation also creates witches broom. To my knowledge, however, shrub cornus isn’t susceptible to such disease or insects and if it was genetic mutation you’d see it sporadic instead of all over the crown.