What's eating my dogwood 'eddie's white wonder'?

Dogwood 'Eddie's White Wonder' (a Cornus florida × C. nuttallii hybrid) is more disease-resistant than pure C. florida but shares the same insect vulnerabilities. Dogwood borer is the primary pest, tunnelling under bark at wound sites. Scale insects and aphids also occur. Deer browse foliage and buds, particularly during winter.

Larval tunnels under bark cause gummosis, bark cracking, and branch die-back, especially at pruning wounds. Protect trunks from mechanical damage; permethrin bark spray in spring when moths are active. Prune and destroy infested wood promptly.

Encrusting scales on twigs cause reduced vigour, honeydew drip, and sooty mould. Dormant horticultural oil spray in late winter; imidacloprid soil drench for persistent infestations.

Clusters on new shoot tips cause leaf curl, honeydew, and reduced extension growth in spring. Water-jet dislodge; insecticidal soap spray; encourage natural aphid predators.

Browse on foliage and buds; antler rubbing on young trunks strips bark and introduces wound sites for borers. Trunk guards on young trees; deer repellent; fencing in high-deer-pressure gardens.