What's eating my china girl dogwood?

China Girl dogwood (Cornus kousa) is notably more resistant to dogwood anthracnose than native flowering dogwood, making pests the bigger concern. Dogwood borer tunnels into bark of stressed trees, while scale insects and aphids affect foliage. Deer will browse young stems and flower buds.

Larval tunneling under bark causes oozing sap, sawdust-like frass, and dieback of individual branches; serious infestations can girdle and kill young trees Avoid mechanical wounding near the trunk; apply permethrin bark spray in late spring when adults are active; remove dead wood promptly

Clusters of waxy, shell-like bumps on stems and branches; reduced vigour, yellowing leaves, and sticky honeydew drip Scrape off manually; apply horticultural oil in late winter before bud break to smother overwintering scale

Bark stripping and antler rubbing on trunk; browsing of low branches and flower buds in spring Wrap trunk with wire mesh or tree guards; apply repellent sprays and reapply after rain; stake and protect newly planted trees