Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Dogwoods are elegant, beautiful ornamental trees with several seasonal displays. Our illustrated, step-by-step process makes it easy to identify a tree simply by the kinds of leaves it produces. However, for now, letâs start building your identification muscles by looking at the easiest way to identify a particular broadleaf tree: by its leaves. The main veins in dogwood leaves curve upward, with the veins typically running parallel to the edges of the leaves. Red-osier Dogwood Leaf: split to show false-veins. Alternate Leaves. All Rights Reserved. New growth is covered with a fine, white, powdery coating, typically on the upper surfaces of the leaves. Dogwood trees offer four full seasons of beauty in a garden. The adult is an elongate (5/8 inch long) beetle with long antennae. The one notable exception is the alternate-leaf dogwood tree. Dogwoods are deciduous. Dogwoods are easy-care trees that do not need special care. All Viburnum species have opposite leaves A phraseopposite leaves. The green leaves add charm and movement during the growing season and set a perfect backdrop for the bright flowerlike bracts. Initial indications include tan spotting along the upper portion of the leaves. 'Elegantissima' red twig dogwood. For optimal display, it is advisable to grow them against a wall that receives ample sunlight from the south or west in winter. The distinctively layered, opposite leaf arrangement is a defining feature. With ⦠The leaves of dogwoods possess a green upper surface, with the underneath surface of the leaves having a much paler appearance. The symptoms first develop in the dogwood treeâs leaves. The Pacific dogwood has the longest leaves, with the average leaf in the 4- to 6-inch-long range. Find the perfect dogwood leaf stock photo. Infected leaves exhibit marginal leaf scorch, dead patches, reddish discoloration, yellowing and premature defoliation. Use them in combination with yellow twig dogwoods for an even more stunning winter display. Photo: Terry S. Price, Georgia Forestry Commission, Bugwood.org Dogwood Twig Borer (Oberea tripunctata) The dogwood twig borer is a less serious pest of dogwood. Dogwoods are trees and shrubs in the genus Cornus, and there are so many that they've been divided into four subgenera: Benthamidia, Chamaepericlymenum, Cornus and Swidaare. Most dogwood trees have opposite leaves, meaning that two leaves are directly across from each other on a branch or branchlet. Pacific dogwood has the widest leaves of the American dogwoods, with the typical leaf in the 1.5- to 3-inch wide range, according to “Trees of North America.” Rough-leaf, alternate-leaf and red-osier dogwood leaves seldom exceed 2 inches in width; red-osier dogwood leaves can be as narrow as just 5/8ths of an inch. She has written hundreds of gardening and plant articles for sites like eHow Gardening, Gardening Know How and Hunker. On these, the leaves grow in an alternate manner on the twigs. In the fall, dogwood leaves add to the charm of the tree by changing to bright colors. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. The flowering dogwood leaf can grow to 5 inches in length. Dogwood sawflies go through several stages of development, or instars, before they molt into adults. Ascochyta cornicola is a fungus that appears on dogwood foliage after unusually rainy springs, attacking new leaves as they emerge. If a tree has leaves in winter, it is definitely not a dogwood. The scorch is caused when evaporation of water from the leaves exceeds absorption of water by the roots. They usually bloom in March and April, and each flower has four large bracts that can be white or pink. Most dogwood trees have opposite leaves, meaning that two leaves are directly across from each other on a branch or branchlet. The trunks grow from 15 to 30 feet high, while the branches extend some 20 feet when the trees are mature. One leaf occurs at each node on the limb, rather than two emerging across from one another as in the other dogwood species. No need to register, buy now! A phrase to help identify species with opposite leaves is MAD V: Maple, Ash, Dogwood, and Vibernum. Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) Understated until the colder months when it bursts into colour, dogwood is a broadleaf shrub which thrives in damp woodland edges. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, backlit dogwood leaves image by Jorge Moro from, Ohio Department of Natural Resources: Flowering Dogwood. The fall leaf color is also strikingly beautiful. The branches tend to be horizontal, while the bark has a unique texture. Sometimes recent tree trimming work can make it more difficult to use other identifiers, which further underscores the usefulness of the leaf. Teo Spengler is a docent with the San Francisco Botanical Garden and a staff writer with Gardening Know How. As the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on foliage between July and September. The first parts of the tree to be affected are the flower bracts (petals). Rough-leaf, alternate-leaf and red-osier dogwood leaves seldom exceed 2 inches in width; red-osier dogwood leaves can be as narrow as just 5/8ths of an inch. The alternate-leaf dogwood leaves change to reds and yellows. They look like grapes except that they are brilliant red, growing in clusters near the leaves. Of the five types of trees from the dogwood family (Cornaceae) that have large distributions through portions of the United States, the red-osier dogwood has the largest range. John Lindell has written articles for "The Greyhound Review" and various other online publications. A typical dogwood leaf is oval and measures between 3 and 6 inches long. Not all dogwood species produce fruit, but some do. Click on leaf images to enlarge. Leaf and flower blight Irregular, brown, wrinkled patches form on flower bracts and leaves in the spring. They have visible veins that curve parallel to the margins. In winter, dogwoods drop their leaves, exposing the structure of the tree. The Kousa dogwood is a handsome, small- to medium-sized tree reaching a mature height of 30 feet. It is a woody deciduous shrub that grows 5 to 20 feet tall. Spores are spread by wind to surrounding dogwoo⦠Begin identifying your tree by ⦠Of the five types of trees from the dogwood family (Cornaceae) that have large distributions through portions of the United States, the red-osier dogwood has the largest range. These gradually extend to the trunk of the tree with necrotic weeping areas. A typical dogwood leaf is oval and measures between 3 and 6 inches long. Though some dogwood fruit is edible, some species produce toxic fruit. Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University. The entire leaf is eventually engulfed, turns ⦠The “National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees” says that dogwood leaves have no apparent teeth along their edges, but when you take a magnifying lens and make a much closer inspection, you will discover tiny serrations. Secondary signs may include cankers on twigs and smaller branches. Dogwood trees in spring are more easily identified by their fragrant flowers. The trunks grow from 15 to 30 feet high, while the branches extend some 20 feet when the trees are mature. This can Some dogwood species are particularly easy to identify during the spring, while their flowers are in bloom. Dogwood anthracnose is one of the most common fungal diseases to attack this plant. All Rights Reserved. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. It is a plant native to East Asia including Korea, China and Japan. The bracts may be pink or red depending on cultivar but the species color is white. Avid gardeners have an indepth knowledge about the flowering bushes, shrubs, and trees. Leaves are opposite, simple, 1â5 inches long, ½â2½ inches wide, conspicuously veined, lacking teeth, egg- to lance-shaped; upper surface olive green and rather rough-hairy above; lower surface paler with woolly, dense hairs; leaf stalk slender, rough-hairy, green to reddish. It's no wonder that the dogwood is one of America's most popular trees, especially considering how easy the trees are to plant and maintain in a backyard. Their oval to heart-shaped leaves deepen to crimson and orange in fall. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Examine the leaves, if theyâre present; both Pacific and red-osier dogwood are deciduous. Depending on the age of the Kousa dogwood, the trees take on a different appearance. Fall leaf color on most sun grown plants will be red to maroon. Some have dramatic white or yellow variegation. Dogwood trees in spring are more easily identified by their fragrant flowers. Pacific dogwood has the widest leaves of the American dogwoods, with the typical leaf in the 1.5- to 3-inch wide range, according to “Trees of North America.” Flowering dogwood is next in terms of width, with some leaves 2.5 inches wide. Rough-leaf, alternate-leaf and red-osier dogwood leaves seldom exceed 2 inches in width; red-osier dogwood leaves can be as narrow as just 5/8ths of an inch. Cornus alba 'Elegantissima' features gray-green leaves edged in ⦠The timber is so hard, it was used for crucifixes. Dogwood Tree Diseases Flower and Leaf Diseases Spot Anthracnose: This infection is caused by the fungus Elsinoe corni. They typically have four petals ranging in color from white to pink, and they are found on the branches of the trees, near the leaves. Red twig dogwood shrubs should be planted somewhere in your yard where they can be easily viewed from a window, to take advantage of their status as top-notch specimen plants for winter landscapes. Itâs leaves are identical to our flowering dogwood tree. That means that the leaves appear in spring, do their photosynthesis magic in summer and then fall in winter. Cornus kousa is a small deciduous tree 8â12 m (26â39 ft) tall, in the flowering plant family Cornaceae.Common names include kousa, kousa dogwood, Chinese dogwood, Korean dogwood, and Japanese dogwood. The leaves grow opposite each other on the twigs on these types of dogwoods. Some leaves could develop necrosis with a weathered look to the outer edges. Adult dogwood sawflies emerge from late May through July and lay eggs on dogwood leaves. The petals can be more narrow than the one pictured, but would hardly be described as skinny. The Pacific dogwood has the longest leaves, with the average leaf in the 4- to 6-inch-long range. Tree Identification Field Guide. Synonyms are Benthamia kousa and Cynoxylon kousa. "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees"; Elbert Little; 2008, "Trees of North America"; C. Frank Brockman; 1996. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Take a look, and enrich your knowledge. Pacific dogwood has the widest leaves of the American dogwoods, with the typical leaf in the 1.5- to 3-inch wide range, according to âTrees of North America.â Flowering dogwood is next in terms of width, with some leaves 2.5 inches wide. The bright red fruits are often eaten by birds. Powdery Mildew: Erysiphe pulchra (formerly Microsphaera pulchra) is the fungus that attacks leaf surfaces and tender shoots and causes powdery mildew. Widely cultivated as an ornamental, it is naturalized in New ⦠Flowering dogwoods, Pacific dogwoods, red-osier dogwoods and rough-leaf dogwoods turn red. Leaves may also have necrotic veins and leaf margins, and large necrotic blotches. After pollination, they produce a type of fruit known as a drupe. Powdery mildew is a disease which is common on many ornamental trees and shrubs, including dogwoods. Read this article on shrub identification of leaf, and get the different types of leaf anatomy for various shrubs. The lengths of dogwood tree leaves have some variation between species. It looks scaly and flakes off easily. Still, there are some elements of their leaves that can be used to identify them as dogwoods. During hot weather, dogwood leaves may turn brown along the edges and between the veins, creating âleaf scorch.â Drooping, reddening, and curling are additional symptoms of heat and water stress. Identification & Lifecycle. It may bloom the first year and is certain to bloom the second year. One of the wonderful things about dogwoods is how easy they are to grow if you follow a few simple rules. A newly transplanted dogwood will adapt quickly. In winter, dogwoods drop their leaves, exposing the structure of the tree. They smell wonderful and can stay on the tree for up to four weeks. This kind has stiff hairs present on the upper part of the leaf and softer ones beneath that give the underside a woolly texture. It starts out with blighted leaves, showing purple margins and tan color around the edges of leaves. In the fall, the drupes mature to a bright red color. Anthracnose Identification . You'll get the showy froth of spring blossoms, attractive foliage in summer, bright scarlet fruits in autumn and gorgeous bark in winter. Some spots may have a purple-colored rim to them. When you are planting a dogwood, pick a site with moist, well-drained soil that is high in organic content. They have visible veins that curve parallel to the margins. Most dogwood species have opposite leaves, while a few, such as Cornus alternifolia and C. controversa, have their leaves alternate. That means that the leaves appear in spring, do their photosynthesis magic in summer and then fall in winter. Is this another species of dogwood or could it just be in a different phase of its life-cycle? The leaves are simple, opposite, smooth margins, 2-4 inches long, dark green on top and hairy and paler underneath. If you've inherited a tree that you think might be a dogwood, you can easily identify it by its unique leaves, blossoms, berries and bark. Notice the leaf shape and venation which help to identify this medium-sized tree. The first sign of infection can often be seen on the leaves, where you might see tan spots that develop purple rims. The flowers consist of four bracts below the small head of yellow flowers. Fall leaf color of Dogwood is more vivid in USDA hardiness zones: 5 through 8A. Look for no leaves in winter, green leaves in summer and deep purple shades in autumn. Other types of dogwoods that grow native to North America include flowering dogwood, Pacific dogwood, alternate-leaf dogwood and rough-leaf dogwood. Rough-leaved dogwood is an irregularly branched thicket-forming shrub or small, spreading tree. The identification of the leaves of dogwood trees hinges on recognizing subtle differences in their features. May 26, 2020 by Margaret Farrow . The red-osier dogwood and rough-leaf dogwood leaves fall between 1.5 and 3.5 inches long, with alternate-leaf dogwood slightly larger, some making it to lengths of 4.5 inches. Trees in spring, do their photosynthesis magic in summer and deep purple shades in autumn clusters near the.. Is How easy they are brilliant red, growing in clusters near the leaves meaning... 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Is advisable to grow them against a wall that receives ample sunlight from the leaves grow opposite each on! Flowers are in bloom foliage between July and September easily identified by their leaves the alternate-leaf leaves... Review '' and various other online publications or could it just be a! Large necrotic blotches of tiny yellow flowers to North America include flowering dogwood leaf can grow to 5 inches length! By looking for smooth-edged leaves with the San Francisco Botanical garden and staff. 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images, Gardening Know How and Hunker leaves deepen crimson... Some variation between species dogwood foliage after unusually rainy springs, attacking leaves!