Siberian Dogwood

Description:

Cornus Sericea is an upright, deciduous shrub commonly known as Dogwood. Its leaves are ovate in shape and change to a deep auburn in autumn. The branches remain a vivid red throughout winter.

Habitat:

This Siberian Dogwood (Cornus Sericea sp. sericea) was found on the south facing side of a raised bed in the Olds College Botanical Garden. It is held in a mixture of topsoil, compost and small amounts of peat. This particular shrub had direct sunlight and the bed was well drained.

Notes:

Some of the leaves had begun to brown and curl along the edges and some had speckling of brown which seemed to be inconsistent with healthy seasonal change. I observed some of the branches to be turning white with brown spots. As per these symptoms, I would conclude the plant to be affected by discula anthracnose and/ or cercospora. Both fungal conditions, anthracnose can cause the browning and curling of the leaf where cercospora is a leaf spot disease.